Growing Up In An Acrobatic Academy!

Walking The Beam!


More Difficult Trick as the two in the Holes are Swinging the Beam!


As I was putting a second extension on this swing to make it swing more freely, with just one end attached, the borders kept landing on it and walking the plank!


They pump the swing to make it go higher and higher, lines not bad considering how hard he is working the swing!


Even moving, this one maintains an excellent back and head silhouette!


Not Bad underline considering how fast and high he is swinging!


Practising the Moving Bar Dismount! Notice the difficulty level has been moved up as the perch he is dismounting to is turned sideways and is no longer firmly attached to the cage.


Trying out the five inch triangle type swing which has only one cage attachment. This is not nearly as easy to swing as it moves so easy that if will even go in a sideways or in a circle. I will replace this with a six inches of the same style so they will stand more upright, as soon as they get use to perching in this unstable type swing. Note the way the perch on the right is placed in an unstable position.


This young Stafford mosaic hen is playing with the circular movement in this four inch triangular one cage attachment swing. Good lines and crest!!


Gym Rats on Beams and Bars!

After introducing the group swings and advancing from stationary to swinging, the birds are ready for single bar swings. By far the easiest type are the ones with two cage attachment. They swing freely and even the Borders learn quickly to make them swing very high and to perch and dismount while in motion.

At that point, I installed the triangular one attachment type which will only swing back and forth with good coordination and balance. The Borders are still learning this trick but the Stafford can do it and is even comfortable with side or circular motion.

I am also training the birds to mount the gym equipment on command. The command I selected is to put my hand in the far end away from the gym equipment and near the floor and with a slight upward motion of my open palm. My goal is for all birds in the cage to fly in unison to a bar swing or beam. Presently, I can get two of the five to fly in unison to a swing so my work is still in progress.

Note: All of the Borders featured in this blog posting are the last four late June hatches!! The first photo was actually taken after these two perched on the beam upon command! It is much easier to get the birds to do the tricks than to tolerate the photo sessions!