Picking the Right Bird Cage For Your Bird
By Tim J Lalonde

Cages

Your bird’s cage is her habitat, so you want to be positive to present her with the very finest and biggest one probable. Bird cages come in a broad assortment of styles, shapes and sizes. More than a few questions need to be well thought-out when purchasing a cage. First of which is:

Used Cages

A satisfactory used cage is ok but should, of course, be checked scrupulously for matters mentioned in the section on safety. Before using a used cage, wash and disinfect the cage with an aviary disinfectant or a 10% solution of household bleach. Wooden cages should not be acquired for your bird.

  • What category of bird do you own?
  • What will be your birds mass when he becomes grown-up?
  • Will your bird be confined all of the time, or will she be permitted to roam the house?
  • Will you be lodging more than one bird in the cage?

One of the most key considerations is that the cage be of satisfactory size for your bird. After all, she will live the better part of her life in this cage. A good rule of thumb is to buy the biggest cage you can manage to pay for. This is mainly true when dealing with larger species, such as Parrots and Macaws.

For instance, a Macaw requires a cage at least 36″w x 36″d x 60″h with metal bars spaced no greater than 1″ away from each other. This allows your bird an abundance of room to exercise and will result in a bird in good health.

At the very least, your bird should be able to completely extend both wings without touching the sides of her cage. Profile also bears an influence on size. For birds like Finches and Canaries, a cage that is stretched out horizontally will give them most advantageous chance for flight. Budgerigars and Parrots, alternatively, like to climb and do well in high cages. Some elaborately shaped cages may appear huge, yet have much wasted space from a bird’s point of view.

Safety

An additional key concern when picking a bird cage is protection. Give your likely purchase an inspection with the following points in mind:

  • Firmness: Wobble the cage to make sure it feels firm and strong with no signs of tipping. If you have little kids, ask yourself whether the base is well-built as much as necessary to endure being pulled over by small kids. If not, you may come to a decision to choose a cage that can be located on top of a piece of furniture out of a kids reach.
  • Final Touches: Make sure to check the cage for any prickly edges, coarse welds or uncompleted metal that may well cut your bird (or you). Make certain the cage is free of rust and none of the paint is coming off or cracking.
  • Small Parts: Some cages are planned as “break-down” cages. These cages can be taken apart and compacted for storage. The hardware used to put the cage together may become loose, posing the hazard that your bird might swallow down a piece of hardware.

Locks/Latches: There are cages planned specially for busy Parrots. These have latches that are not possible for birds to open. Most parrots love to play with the latches, and if your bird cage is latchless, a simple padlock can resolve the trouble.

  • Distance between Bars and Orientation: Make sure the distance across the bars of the cage are narrower than the thickness of your bird’s head, or he might get his head trapped between the bars and death could result. On the contrary, bars that are too close together can wound birds by trapping their feet. This every so often happens when bars congregate to form the cage’s design or as part of a arched roof. Horizontal bars are greatest for climbing, while vertical bars are not as much of a factor for damaging the tail feathers.
  • Sanitation: For the sake of hygiene and health, decide on a cage that keeps your bird’s droppings out of her reach (typically adding a grate over the bottom tray is best). Guarantee also that the cage has a pull-out underside tray for trouble-free clean-up.
  • Materials and Style: Cages come in numerous diverse styles and are made of a assortment of materials. Once more, your option may vary according to the variety and size of bird you choose.

Cages are made of anodized aluminum, stainless steel, brass, wrought iron, wood, wire, plexiglass, acrylic or a combination of these materials. Stainless steel is costly, but it’s the most resilient, strongest and easiest to clean. A stainless steel cage in general lasts a lifetime. The latest transparent acrylic cages with air filtration systems have the added benefit of keeping your bird’s mess in the cage not on your floor. With an adequate amount space and sufficient “toys” to encourage climbing and exercise, these cages measure up to well with more long-established cages. Nevertheless, they are pricey. When choosing your cage material, keep in mind that Parrots and Conures have physically powerful beaks that can gnaw through wood.

As long as you opt for a cage that is large, well-built and safe and sound for your bird, the preference of style is an individual one. Opt for a cage that will go well with your home and your individual flavor. Some cages even come in wooden cabinets that can be matched with your furnishings. Further more cages can be topped with “playpens” which can provide your bird a variety of activity. When finances are a factor, it is always best to go for a larger, simpler cage. You can always go bigger if you feel the need to do so.

Parrot/Bird Stands

A parrot or bird stand is essentially a “non-cage.” The bird sits on a perch mounted on a stand rather than being enclosed within a cage. These stands are best used only as a place to be besides in the cage all the time, as they often fail to supply adequate chance for exercise and leave the parrot open to would-be hazards all around the house.

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