Anonymous
01/10/2022 05:16
Subject: Re:Picking a bird cage
Please let your bird fly in your house - we had a free range parakeet for 13 years - I felt guilty all 13 of those years too - it was a rescue my daughter begged for but we never felt right about the situation even though we did the best we could and gave the bird attention snd the best life we could.
Anonymous
01/10/2022 01:04
Subject: Picking a bird cage
Former bird owner here--amazon, cockatiels, and parakeets.
The above info is all good, especially the rectangular cage. Birds are gliders, not helicopters. They also need a variety of perches--I always had a mix of dowels, thick branches, smaller branches, sandpaper style etc. Usually 4-5 difference ones of different diameters and lengths. Branches are nice because they have 2-3 perches with the different offshoots.
The only thing I disagree with from above is the part about the seeds. My avian vet told me seeds are fine (along with fresh fruit and veg). She said she doesn't know why seeds get such a bad rap because if a human were eating it, we'd be calling it a whole grain diet. She said it's the same for them and it's better than pellets because they're less processed.
So--that's just another perspective.
The above info is all good, especially the rectangular cage. Birds are gliders, not helicopters. They also need a variety of perches--I always had a mix of dowels, thick branches, smaller branches, sandpaper style etc. Usually 4-5 difference ones of different diameters and lengths. Branches are nice because they have 2-3 perches with the different offshoots.
The only thing I disagree with from above is the part about the seeds. My avian vet told me seeds are fine (along with fresh fruit and veg). She said she doesn't know why seeds get such a bad rap because if a human were eating it, we'd be calling it a whole grain diet. She said it's the same for them and it's better than pellets because they're less processed.
So--that's just another perspective.
Anonymous
01/09/2022 18:14
Subject: Picking a bird cage
Anonymous wrote:What kind of bird, OP? This matters!
A canary (song bird), a ground bird (chicken, quail etc) or a parrot?
I'm assuming a parrot...what kind of parrot?
I have experience with both larger and smaller parrots. We currently have a cockatiel and he has a semi-rounded top cage so you could open it up and put a perch on top. However; the cage is great because of the following:
The DOOR of the cage opens down and then stays just below level (like a drawbridge). During the day, the cage door is open and he loves to sit on the drawbridge...like hanging out in the front porch outside the cage, in the doorway. I just looked and he is there now.
Also, I bought live carrots in a pot at a gardening store and I put the container against the "drawbridge" and the carrot tops are next to it. And he goes and eats his "salad" there, and also if the tops are wet he will take a "birdbath" on them.
If you are interested I can get you the website for the cage, just let me know.
It's a conure. I'm looking at cages with a play area on top.
Anonymous
01/09/2022 18:04
Subject: Picking a bird cage
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We are getting a bird, but I'm trying to decide if I should get a flat top cage or rounded. I'm thinking the flat top provides more space for hanging toys. Does the rounded top add anything I'm missing?
Why are getting a bird? Birds are supposed to be free, not living in your home. And if it is an exotic bird how did they get it? Stealing?
There is a perfectly legal and active trade in exotic birds that are bred within our borders. There are also international laws that forbid the cross-country transport of certain endangered species. That list is more stringent than what Americans are allowed to breed, buy and sell, which can pose issues if you need to move abroad.
But why a bird? It seems really sad to keep a bird away from flying outside.
Anonymous
01/09/2022 17:18
Subject: Picking a bird cage
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We are getting a bird, but I'm trying to decide if I should get a flat top cage or rounded. I'm thinking the flat top provides more space for hanging toys. Does the rounded top add anything I'm missing?
Why are getting a bird? Birds are supposed to be free, not living in your home. And if it is an exotic bird how did they get it? Stealing?
There is a perfectly legal and active trade in exotic birds that are bred within our borders. There are also international laws that forbid the cross-country transport of certain endangered species. That list is more stringent than what Americans are allowed to breed, buy and sell, which can pose issues if you need to move abroad.
Anonymous
01/09/2022 17:03
Subject: Picking a bird cage
Anonymous wrote:We are getting a bird, but I'm trying to decide if I should get a flat top cage or rounded. I'm thinking the flat top provides more space for hanging toys. Does the rounded top add anything I'm missing?
Why are getting a bird? Birds are supposed to be free, not living in your home. And if it is an exotic bird how did they get it? Stealing?
Anonymous
01/09/2022 16:30
Subject: Picking a bird cage
^^Forgot to say that if our cockatiel is somewhere else in the house, he can fly and easily land on the "drawbridge" part of his cage.
Anonymous
01/09/2022 16:28
Subject: Picking a bird cage
What kind of bird, OP? This matters!
A canary (song bird), a ground bird (chicken, quail etc) or a parrot?
I'm assuming a parrot...what kind of parrot?
I have experience with both larger and smaller parrots. We currently have a cockatiel and he has a semi-rounded top cage so you could open it up and put a perch on top. However; the cage is great because of the following:
The DOOR of the cage opens down and then stays just below level (like a drawbridge). During the day, the cage door is open and he loves to sit on the drawbridge...like hanging out in the front porch outside the cage, in the doorway. I just looked and he is there now.
Also, I bought live carrots in a pot at a gardening store and I put the container against the "drawbridge" and the carrot tops are next to it. And he goes and eats his "salad" there, and also if the tops are wet he will take a "birdbath" on them.
If you are interested I can get you the website for the cage, just let me know.
A canary (song bird), a ground bird (chicken, quail etc) or a parrot?
I'm assuming a parrot...what kind of parrot?
I have experience with both larger and smaller parrots. We currently have a cockatiel and he has a semi-rounded top cage so you could open it up and put a perch on top. However; the cage is great because of the following:
The DOOR of the cage opens down and then stays just below level (like a drawbridge). During the day, the cage door is open and he loves to sit on the drawbridge...like hanging out in the front porch outside the cage, in the doorway. I just looked and he is there now.
Also, I bought live carrots in a pot at a gardening store and I put the container against the "drawbridge" and the carrot tops are next to it. And he goes and eats his "salad" there, and also if the tops are wet he will take a "birdbath" on them.
If you are interested I can get you the website for the cage, just let me know.
Anonymous
01/09/2022 15:59
Subject: Picking a bird cage
Anonymous wrote:
Birds need a LOT of room. Get the largest cage you can find that has the correct bar spacing for the size of the bird. This ensures that on days when you cannot let the bird out, it won't go crazy in its cage.
The best cages are rectangular. A lot of flight birds do better with a cage that's far longer than higher, so that they can fly in it. Most cages are higher than they are longer, just because people look for smaller footprints, but those are usually not good for birds. No round or weirdly-shaped cages, ever. It confuses the bird.
A lot of birds need full spectrum lighting. A flat top ensures an easier mounting of the bulb on top of it, as well as the toys you mentioned.
No sandpaper perches or smooth dowel perches - bad for feet. Natural grapevine perches, with variations in grip and dimension, are best for a number of small-medium species.
Add fresh fruit and veggies to their diet, get them used to pellets, don't rely too much on seeds, which are overly high in fat.
We have a sleeping perch with flat heater for our small parrot to nestle against during cold winter days. You'll find lots of fun accessories and toys for birds - make sure they are bird safe, and only buy from reputable brands!
Thank you, this was helpful. I like the look of a rounded top better, but I did read about the potential for weirdly shaped cages to cause confusion. I'm glad I asked. I'll stick to a rectangular shape.
Anonymous
01/09/2022 15:56
Subject: Picking a bird cage
Birds need a LOT of room. Get the largest cage you can find that has the correct bar spacing for the size of the bird. This ensures that on days when you cannot let the bird out, it won't go crazy in its cage.
The best cages are rectangular. A lot of flight birds do better with a cage that's far longer than higher, so that they can fly in it. Most cages are higher than they are longer, just because people look for smaller footprints, but those are usually not good for birds. No round or weirdly-shaped cages, ever. It confuses the bird.
A lot of birds need full spectrum lighting. A flat top ensures an easier mounting of the bulb on top of it, as well as the toys you mentioned.
No sandpaper perches or smooth dowel perches - bad for feet. Natural grapevine perches, with variations in grip and dimension, are best for a number of small-medium species.
Add fresh fruit and veggies to their diet, get them used to pellets, don't rely too much on seeds, which are overly high in fat.
We have a sleeping perch with flat heater for our small parrot to nestle against during cold winter days. You'll find lots of fun accessories and toys for birds - make sure they are bird safe, and only buy from reputable brands!
Anonymous
01/09/2022 15:48
Subject: Re:Picking a bird cage
Are you going to let the bird out so it can fly around several times a day? I didn’t know birds in cages were still a thing……..
Anonymous
01/09/2022 15:43
Subject: Picking a bird cage
We are getting a bird, but I'm trying to decide if I should get a flat top cage or rounded. I'm thinking the flat top provides more space for hanging toys. Does the rounded top add anything I'm missing?