Cabinet Cage?

[Spacey'sMom]

Has anyone tried out some of the DIY caging like the curio cabinets where you swap out the glass for grid wiring? Any issues/concerns? Or any advice on a basic wood frame wire cage?

We don't have any good stores in the area. The only locally owned one offers financing on designer, puppy mill pups. I prefer not to shop there. I also love a good DIY project.

 

[Terry57]

If you're located in the US, Bird Cages 4 Less has nice cages for decent prices.
I have a cage that has large door like you find on a cabinet, and whenever I opened the door, I had to be really careful if I didn't want my bird to come out right then.

I also got some of my cages from Amazon, so that may be a way to go.
If you build, you have to be careful of what wire you use because some contain Zinc which is toxic. Wood is also not as easy to clean as cage bars. I have a large finch flight made of wood and it is a pain to clean.

 

[wrench13]

DIY-ing a parrot cage requires you to really think about the features of a commercial parrot cage and how you will address the needs of the parrot that are taken care of in a commercial cage. How will you do the feeding & water cups, how will you handle the copious amount of poops they make in a day? Comm'l cages have a slide out grill at the bottom, and often a plastic tray under that one to catch the poops. Neither of those shown in the examples above address that.

Re: the mesh you use - either stainless steel (welded or woven) or aluminum are the only 2 safe choices, neither are cheap. DO not use steel zinc plated (galvanized) mesh aka hardware cloth - the zinc is toxic. Using mesh means you have to CAREFULLY address the sharp points where the mesh is cut to size - these are really sharp. If left unaddressed, the parrot will injure itself.

Re: wood framing (or cabinet walls) - if your guy is a real chewer (most parrots are), that frame you spent so much time DIY-ing, well it will be splinters. Depending on the size , a wood frame might last a few years (conures?) to maybe a few months (macaws, large Amazons).


DIY toys - a big thumbs up, they can be made very inexpensively and are supposed to be easy to destroy. DIY cage - seems like its more work then its worth, could be dangerous to your parrot and certainly more effort to keep clean and safe.

 

[SailBoat]

Our Amazon would go into that cabinet around noon and would have chewed his way out for afternoon tea! And likely took a break to move the shavings to the side.

Been owned by Amazons for a long time and have found that DYI cages look great until the Amazon modifies it moments later.

We also use Birdcages4less.com and have been very happy over the many years and many cages.