Suggestion Box! (Looking for your ideasđĄ!)
Added 2023-04-06 20:59:01 +0000 UTCHey everyone!! On my last Zoom live, the idea of having a Patreon "Suggestion Box" post came up after a couple of you brought ideas to myself and my team that we absolutely loved (leather tag keychain!!), so I'm hoping that this post can be a spot for everyone to share any thoughts or ideas that you'd like for us at BirdTricks to consider.
Essentially, if you have ideas or suggestions on products we can offer, digital course topics you'd like to see, video topics you wish we had, etc..., we'd love to hear them! While we cannot guarantee that we'd be able to make any one particular idea happen, hearing feedback/ideas from our customers and friends is VITAL to us growing as a company. We don't exist without you, and so we want to make sure that you are getting the products and content that you want! I'm sure most of you have heard by now, but our new perches that we came out with this year was a direct result of asking everyone what they wished we offered that we currently did not - perches were nowhere on our radar. However, it ended up being an amazing idea that we were able to make work, and now we absolutely LOVE our perches and, according to the reviews so far, so does everyone else!
If you have an idea but are uncomfortable sharing it on here or just don't want to have it be public, please DM me personally on Patreon and I'll make sure it goes into a document that is shared by myself and my team. Also, as always, please be courteous to others when commenting. While we all may have different opinions, we want this post to be a collaborative and open place where everyone feels safe to bring ideas to the table.
I, and everyone at BirdTricks, appreciate you all so much, and we can't wait to see some of the suggestions you all have for us!
Comments
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PsyFi40
2023-08-17 16:18:56 +0000 UTCSelling individual packs of bird safe quality treats for training, example: 5oz of safflower seeds, 5oz of pine nuts, 5oz of almonds.
Kathy Le
2023-06-16 06:38:10 +0000 UTCCute food bowls like ceramic bowls for the small birds, love having cute bowls but theyâre hard to find!
Taylor S
2023-05-29 13:37:19 +0000 UTCWondering what yâallâs take is on if birds like conures need a seed mix, and if so what would that be. Also wondering the reasoning behind having different seed mixes between budgies and cocktails (and conures if they benefit from seed). Thank you for all that yâall do!
Taylor S
2023-05-03 16:46:04 +0000 UTCI have already seen some suggestions on selling treestands and i agree. I have an issue with the current tree stands available on the market because of their shape. What i mean is the branches are arranged in a way that when hanging toys from them, most of them aren't easely accessable ( dangling in the air, out of reach). Could it be possible to make tree stands with branches that are arranged by "levels", meaning the birds can reach the toys placed on the branch above the one they are perched on instead of reaching down. Does that make any sense ?
Katherine Gil
2023-04-18 11:16:16 +0000 UTCFor the perches, it would be nice if the washers were a bit larger. The included size on the medium perches I purchased were too small. They slipped back through the cage bar opening. I had to get larger washers to keep the perch in place. The perches are kind of heavy so even if the cage bar spacing isn't as wide as the cage I have, the extra support from a large washer keeps the perch more stable.
Holden Kendrick
2023-04-17 19:49:16 +0000 UTCIn one of BT vet videos they donated away a bunch of feather to their vets (who do education about feather anatomy and such in their place)
Guy Goldstein K
2023-04-17 11:39:31 +0000 UTCBumper stickers and window clings. I'd definitely like for people with to see the BT name and go home to see what it is. I've run into too many parrot owners who did not know about BT. I'd love to help get the name out there.
Holden Kendrick
2023-04-16 23:39:58 +0000 UTCBirdie bread would work good as a foraging treat if your birds will eat it. Mine both love the pellets but wonât touch birdie bread đ€Šââïžđ€Ł
Kimberly Carr
2023-04-16 14:10:22 +0000 UTCFor the flight training course, please include ideas for training birds to descend when you live in a single story home with 8' ceilings.
Holden Kendrick
2023-04-16 02:14:00 +0000 UTCI love this. You know those car window American flags, I used to have a pirate flag one and would love a Birdtricks one!
Li
2023-04-13 00:26:58 +0000 UTCSpecifically, there are so very few cages that are wider rather than taller -- and most of them are not great quality. Something that has sturdy bars to hold appropriate perches, and a price point that is competitive with high-end cages but less than custom?
Julie K
2023-04-12 16:37:47 +0000 UTCI had gotten some sisal rope perches thinking my YCA wouldnât be able to chew them. Unfortunately he did. Sisal is safer than cotton but still not something to chew on lol. Also have you thought about platform perches?
Heather Fromme
2023-04-11 22:44:39 +0000 UTCIâm not sure if this has already been discussed in a video somewhere but going in-depth about oil diffusers and what scents are safe for parrots. I know there is the article that Patti wrote a while back but I would love to hear more personal experience from the BT team :)
Heather Fromme
2023-04-11 16:58:44 +0000 UTCA notebook with areas to record feeding/training/weightâŠI know you have these sheets free on the site but a notebook to bring along to a masterclass would be useful for you guys to see how the bird has been doing prior to the classâŠ
Elise
2023-04-10 01:05:05 +0000 UTCI already mentioned this to you but thought I would here a well. I saw the cutest car sticker that said "Say hello to you dog" but would love one with this only for birds like your shirts or the bird tricks logo.
Wendy Cottingham
2023-04-09 21:59:22 +0000 UTCI would simply love to buy stainless steel hardware and food dishes from you, for making DIY bird items.
Guy Goldstein K
2023-04-09 11:03:29 +0000 UTCThank you for sharing the link to Grainger McKoyâs website. His work is stunning!
J Matzner
2023-04-09 03:15:29 +0000 UTCMay be a tricky or "niche" subjects as these are things I've been wondering from my own situations, I know you can't do anything too medical as such but maybe a short course, video series or something on how to minimise stress when treating sick birds? To add to Taylor's comment about the droppings and when to see a vet, maybe what to look for in an avian vet or what to ask your vet when you go? I know you have touched a little before also on handling like training your birds to willingly go into your hand, but I haven't quiet got to that point with my budgie yet. Myself I am also just too nervous and soft I hate having to "hold" him even if it's for treatment, to make him better I just hate having to do it at all. I know you can also teach a bird to take a syringe willingly, but sometimes there are times like when a bird needs mite treatment, it has to go in the back of their neck and that can be tricky without keeping them still and I guess handling is required. Can you share some tips or ideas to make handling easier/less stressful in that case?
Laura
2023-04-09 00:24:32 +0000 UTCI believe thereâs an older blog post about it, but maybe a video on how to monitor your birdâsâ droppings day to day? Things to look for/what things mean you need your vet, and how it can fluctuate naturally based on diet?
Taylor S
2023-04-08 22:10:41 +0000 UTCThank you for sharing the link to Grainger McKoyâs website. His work is stunning!
J Matzner
2023-04-08 20:58:45 +0000 UTCJust speaking from the international crowd, it would be great if you could source a company in Europe who could make your products? A bit of a selfish ask, Iâve been desperately trying to source cold pressed pellets over here and the only ones I could find were your pellets and tops who seem to be sold out everywhere đ canât believe how hard it is to get quality parrot food that I can feel happy putting my little flock on. On the bright side my little Parrotletâs are loving your budgie seed mix!
Laurie Taylor
2023-04-08 08:08:55 +0000 UTCThere is a South Carolina based artist named Grainger McKoy who makes bird sculptures and jewelry. I saw his work at an exhibit in Atlanta. His bird sculptures were so realistic that at first I thought it was a taxidermy exhibit. He even captures the individual feather filaments and iridescence. In wood with paint! I imagine he could be commissioned to copy parrot feathers, but he'd be out of my price range for sure. His jewelry items are semi-affordable though. https://www.graingermckoy.com/
Holden Kendrick
2023-04-08 03:18:12 +0000 UTCOur newer day cages have a mechanism to keep the food/water cups inside the ring we place it in. The sleep cages don't have anything like that and 2 of our birds consistantly get their cups out. It would be wonderful if the sleep cages could have a way that the birds can't get the cups out and dump pellets and water all over.
J Matzner
2023-04-07 13:51:50 +0000 UTCYes I want this too!
Li
2023-04-07 11:04:00 +0000 UTCSame!
Nichole Biedenback
2023-04-07 09:19:03 +0000 UTCWhat to do with bird feathers? -I keep collecting bird feathers when our birds molt, but I have no idea what to do with them. Years ago (before the Internet, when all the bird information we could get was from Bird Talk magazine and other limited resources) they used to say we should collect our bird feathers and donate them to indigenous people so they wouldnât kill wild birds for ceremonial items. However, it turned out companion birds didnât always have the right length or color feathers that were needed so that never worked out. One of my birds in particular often molts some really beautiful, unusual, and asymmetrical feathers. Would you consider partnering with some artists who could make jewelry for us out of some light-weight materials that would look like the actual feathers from our birds? Maybe they could use a material to copy the feathers that could be turned into pins, earrings, tie tacs, etc.? Would the artist be making one of a kind jewelry where nobody else could purchase the design from our feathers except us? Iâm not sure how Iâd feel if the artist could reuse my bird feather designs and others could buy designs from my bird. However, if my bird feathers were a template and other people wanted to buy copies, Iâd totally be okay with that as long as Jamieâs new non-profit, Project Parrots, Inc., would receive the majority of the profits. -Or, what about developing a way to keep and display a few of our favorite bird feathers?
J Matzner
2023-04-07 05:30:05 +0000 UTCWOWâeveryone has AWESOME ideas!!! Would you consider making cages? -My Goffinâs cockatoo has an old Preview cage and the cage base and paper tray is made of plastic. The plastic has become brittle and some parts have broken off. The cage bars on the sides run vertically. This is very important because our Goffinâs is afraid of most toys and LOVES to chew cardboard that we fold and push inside his cage for him to chew. The cages available today have bars on the side that run horizontally. Unfortunately, that makes it impossible to put cardboard inside a new cage in the same way. He likes to stand on his perch and chew the cardboard or climb up higher and sit on a higher placed cardboard. We are suggesting vertical cage bars on the sides and horizontal cage bars on the front and the back -The newer cages also have more vertical space and my bird wouldnât have enough horizontal space. Also, some newer cages only have 2 food/water cups instead of 3. Our preference is always 3. -having a cage that adapts as birds age might be something to look into. For example with some of the cages that are rather high, I would like to have a board with padding or something that could be added so when the bird is elderly or disabled they would not fall to the bottomâthere would only be a few inches if they had trouble perching. It would be nice if they could just step down and stand on the flat surface when that would feel better for them and step back onto the perch when that would feel better. -it would also be wonderful to have an easy way to reorder cups. When we ordered our large day cages a number of years ago, they only came with 3 stainless steel cups and no way to purchase extras. The cups donât seem to be as good quality as they used to be and need to be replaced. However, there doesnât seem to be a way to reorder cups for the model of cages we have. :( Toys -cardboard that is safe to chew -two of our birds love plastic links. Is there a way to mimic those in a safer material? Storage underneath the cages and papers to fit cages -one of our birds doesnât go down to the papers inside her cage so we used her grate on the outside bottom (as a shelf) so we had a place to put newspapers, toys, etc. -or how about a cage that sits on a stand that also has storage underneath? -what about âselect a sizeâ paper for the bottom of bird cages (without newsprint)--this would be for any size cage (day cage, sleep cage, or travel cage) I too would appreciate perches that go all the way across (as per Holdenâs suggestion) Sleep/Travel Cages -I too would appreciate sleep cages/travel cages that were lighter (as per Holdenâs suggestion) -also if the sides had horizontal bars it would be easier to put perches insideâitâs very difficult to put a perch inside a cage when the bars run horizontal! -how about a more user friendly/ergonomic handle to carry the sleep/travel cages? The travel cage Holden shared a link to (the same cage we use as sleep cages) has a long and awkward perch on the top that is also the way you carry the cage (This perch/handle probably adds to how heavy the cage weighs too). Our birds avoid the perch because it seems to be oriented/faces the wrong direction for them. Iâm sure you could figure out a better way to rework this. đ -when we purchased travel cages to use as sleep cages they only came with one rope perch and it is difficult to find replacement perches the correct length. Please consider having both a rope perch and a wooden perch with each purchase (or at least giving people the option of which one) AND have an easy way to reorder so you know the perches will fit. What about making blackout curtains for sleep rooms? -At the last Zoom replay someone talked about blackout curtains (Iâm sorry, I donât recall who). Trick suggestions for birds with feet problems. -For example my birds have feet problems so standing on one foot (for waving) is not something that will work for them.
J Matzner
2023-04-07 03:42:06 +0000 UTCA rope perch alternative would be awesome!!! My birds with feet problems chew their rope perches and I'm always afraid because I think there's wire inside--yikes--I don't want them ingesting wire!
J Matzner
2023-04-07 02:49:32 +0000 UTCIt would be awesome if there was some sort of GPS system that is more permanent than the current options. The Marshall systems are awesome but they haven't materially changed in the past few years. Meanwhile IoT technology is growing by leaps and bounds. It seems like the technology to create a solution probably exists if someone wants to pursue it. They make GPS collars for dogs and cats. Even something that worked like a Tile tag would be an improvement. If you can track your keys you should be able to track your bird.
Holden Kendrick
2023-04-07 02:39:08 +0000 UTCI am watching everything I possibly can of your material in hopes of getting a budgie or small parrot of some sort this summer. Iâm not sure if you have this somewhere already, but Iâm really wondering about setting up a bird safe environment. What are the minimum supplies needed? If I canât afford everything all at once what would be a progression of items to purchase? How about âbird proofingâ a house? What things are particularly dangerous for birds? What temperature do you keep your home at? How cold is too cold to have your bird outdoors? How do you teach a bird what windows are? What is a good bedtime routine? Should you sleep a bird in a cage or out free? Can I leave my bird out of the cage while Iâm at work or should my bird be caged whenever I am gone? I have so many questions about just general bird ownership. I would love a course on preparing your home for a new bird and teaching your bird about its environment. If you have something like this already please advise me what to buy! I love love love your material. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Robyn Watts
2023-04-07 02:37:52 +0000 UTCSame!
Madi Long
2023-04-07 01:47:23 +0000 UTCAlternatives to the standard cotton rope boings and perches... my birds LOVE them but they chew on them so I cannot leave them in their cages. One of my birds is a senior, and her feet are arthritic and she's lost strength, so she really does like rope perches, but I'm afraid she also likes shredding them. Is there a different type of rope that can be used that won't become a crop-clogging clump if they chew on it?
Julie O'Malley
2023-04-07 00:37:14 +0000 UTCI was wondering why no one makes a chipped open band that can be attached to a birds leg if you canât get your bird chipped.
DEEANNA SPIVEY
2023-04-06 23:17:23 +0000 UTCSome of those products would be great as a BT branded partnership product like the travel carriers. Maybe Corners Limited would like to do something in conjunction with you guys on the cages, flights, and aviaries.
Holden Kendrick
2023-04-06 23:07:02 +0000 UTCSame here! I have a boatload of rewards I can't use.
Holden Kendrick
2023-04-06 22:52:45 +0000 UTCYes to the outdoor aviary! I have a hard time finding one that doesnât cost $5000 and the ones that donât have weird spacing and I donât trust it!
Madi Long
2023-04-06 22:25:15 +0000 UTCI would love to be able to buy Blueberry's seed mix. It's not difficult, but finding rapeseed is fairly challenging unless in bulk. It would be great to just be able to buy a mix.
Jenny Eyler
2023-04-06 22:23:20 +0000 UTCI'd love to see a harness training video as well. They are nice for smaller and medium birds. Also, the BT branded harness is a great idea. There has to be a better way. Something that is secure and very quick to put on a bird. Everything out there is very fiddly to put on and/or not sturdy enough.
Holden Kendrick
2023-04-06 22:20:23 +0000 UTCAlso a toy that specifically fits your pellets so my birds can forage for dinner.
Li
2023-04-06 22:15:06 +0000 UTCAlso this is more of a crazy dream than a suggestion but if yâall ever want to open BT rescues, you could hire BT students/graduates. Imagine the project bird content that could come of it and the best diet and training birds could ask for. Would love to open a rescue but I donât know the first thing about it and theyâre all at least a couple hours drive away from me.
Kimberly Carr
2023-04-06 22:14:35 +0000 UTCPlease please please revamp your reward system. Iâm at the top tier and just get points. I have all your digital products and since Iâm a patron I get all your digital products free. I would love to use points for your physical products or even if itâs just free shipping. I loved the free toy boxes.
Li
2023-04-06 22:12:59 +0000 UTCA macaw carrier would be amazing but I realize thatâs difficult because theyâre so big/long. I have one of the plexiglass ones but it is heavy and bulky.
Kimberly Carr
2023-04-06 22:08:36 +0000 UTCDitto on the tree! And at different price points.
PsyFi40
2023-04-06 21:54:15 +0000 UTCSome of the things I've been trying to source and either do not find good options or can find but at the price point I'd prefer to purchase from a source I trust to deliver a quality and well vetted product: *Foraging treats that are healthy/low fat but still something more exciting than pellets and less calorie dense than nuts/seeds *Outdoor Aviary *Outdoor Flight Run (Permanent fixture i.e. something that can be left up year round in a temperate climate zone) *Foraging Tree *Swings and Boings for cages that are safe materials *A travel cage that is large enough to be in use as a temporary main cage, but also lightweight, sturdy, and breaks down flat. The travel carrier is great but it isn't great once you arrive at a travel destination and need to put the bird away. I currently have this one and it meets the above requirements but I think it can be done better: https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Pet-Products-Travel-Carrier/dp/B074FCFG7K/ *Bird cages of all sizes that can be trusted to be safe and well built. *Foraging puzzle toys that preferably aren't made of plastic and chain *Long perches that go fully across a cage *Flat and shelf type perches. Most of my birds have liked having a flat spot to eat dry foods and treats they don't want to drop. Handicapped birds also need these. *I know husbandry isn't your thing, but I would love to be able to train my bird to accept nail filing/clipping. I see videos on YouTube of parrots trained to hand over a foot and allow it. A video course on this and maybe other related trainings would be great
Holden Kendrick
2023-04-06 21:47:55 +0000 UTCI have one of your backpacks and I love it but we take our gcc camping and would love to get him harness trained and it would be so special to have a harness with the birdtricks logo
Madi Long
2023-04-06 21:30:11 +0000 UTCI know you have mentioned you can schedule a consult with Kim to help with harness training but would she be willing to do a high level video about it? For a lot of us with small birds, a harness is the easiest way to take them outside with us safely! A BirdTricks harness would be so cool đ€©
Madi Long
2023-04-06 21:28:53 +0000 UTCHow to teach small birds to lay on their back! Lol. I can't get past the death grip on my finger!
Brickelle Gregory
2023-04-06 21:26:43 +0000 UTCStep-by-step basic video instructions on precisely how to teach certain tricks. How to teach spin? How to teach wave? How to teach them to go through a hoop? I realize that throughout all of your videos, there's tips and tidbits on how to do these things, but a very straight-forward, parsed down, step-by-step, "this is how to teach the trick "spin"" would be helpful.
Kimberlite Kemmer
2023-04-06 21:03:20 +0000 UTC
