Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thought some of you experts might be able to provide some recommendations for a new cage for my GCC. I'd like it to have a plastic base because she takes baths in her water dish, and I need a removable stand so I can take her to the bird store in it for boarding. And because I need transport the cage sometimes, it needs to be on the more lightweight side. An opening play-top would be nice, but not a deal breaker.
I don't use plastic bottom cages, so I can't help with a recommendation. However, you mentioned a removable stand, so you can take her to the pet store in it.
I recommend a separate carrier for transporting, such as this one, in the appropriate size. Without a perch inside, there is nothing for your bird to fall off of and/or bang into, in the event of a short stop or worse. Also, the sides are plastic rather than metal, which further increases the safety aspect in the event she bangs into it. I slip the seatbelt into the handle, to keep the carrier from becoming a potential projectile, and I don't put them near airbags, so if they deploy the powder won't overwhelm the carrier/bird.
For transporting, we use a cat carrier with hardware cloth lining (you have to make the lining yourself. We made them for an airplane trip accross the country since nothin avialable would fit under the seat. They worked great and not we bring them whever we take our birds somewhere so we have a place to put them if we need a break or they do. One of our birds cannot fly, and he goes to any outdoor events we go to if the weather is decent.
As far as choosing a cage, I cannot help much since I also never use plastic bottom cages (they chew through eventually). However I can tell you that you need to be prepared to pay a lot if you buy new. Good cages are very very expensive (i.e. $500 - $1500). However you can usually ind really nice cages on Craigslit for under $100 if you are patient. If you buy a used cage, take it to a spray off car wash and wash the snot out of it and then rinse rinse rinse before putting a bird in it. You do nto want ot inherit a diease.
Look on bird websites for recommndations. Some cages are nto well thought out. They have features that look great in a pet store, but are impractical at home. There are differences of opinions about the best type of bottom, bars, bar spacing, coatings, and tops. However you definetly want outside access to feed and water bowls. Make sure your food and water access doors are on a side of the cage where they will not be up agaisnt a wall or furniture. You also definitely want a slide out tray bottom. We have one cage with a opening top, we never ever use it. Just open the door and she goes right up there, or move her by hand. A playtop can be useful though as long as the cage is not wihtin reach of any wood, wallpaper, etc the bird cna chew up while on the playtop. We also use seperate climbing trees on a rolling platform. We cna place these far away form any wood. We keep them ont he front porch so the birds can sit with us (make sure one wing has the primaries recently trimmed way back).
Last edited by Coldjensens; 01-10-2013 at 08:07 AM..
Thanks, folks. I like the suggested carrier ideas, but I need the cage for actual housing at the pet store, not just to take her there. I'm thinking I may need to buy a separate, smallish vacation cage in addition to a new main cage.
Sorry, but I have to caution against buying a used cage - from Craigslist or anywhere else - unless you are well versed in the prevention/spread of avian diseases and proper disinfection treatments/techniques. Thoroughly washing a used cage at a car wash will not necessarily rid the cage of the pathogen which causes psittacosis ("parrot fever"), for example. Why does this person have a cage for sale? Did their bird die? What did it die from? Do they really know?? Are they telling you the truth? If they gave their bird away, was their bird an asymptomatic carrier of disease???
"The Chlamydophila psittaci organism can survive outside the host for approximately one month if protected by cell debris and protein material, like droppings and nasal discharges. Therefore, when considering disease prevention and control, cleanliness, cage hygiene and good disinfection are very important, and the birds environment (ie, your home) must also be made free of any lurking Chlamydophia psittaci organisms. Ask your avian vet for disinfectant like F10 or Tri-Gene, that is effective against this disease." [1]
There are also many avian authorities who do not believe in clipping the primaries on just one wing and I am in agreement with this.
I tried to order an Avian Adventures Protege cage yesterday, because it seemed to fit the bill, but I found out it cannot be shipped to California. Apparently it contains something deemed to be toxic/harmful. I find this very odd. If it's intended for a bird's home, how harmful could this cage be to people??
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
