Getting prepared...

[JJones1719]

You should google Nepoleon Model number 506 under King Cages, this is what I have for my Green Wing.
This is all the cage you will need. My Neleno is a huge Green Wing and the cages provides plenty of room. Thanks Joe

 

[luvmytooo]

I have two of those cages , they are awesome !! Plenty of room to play for Stella and the baby. They loves their cages Watching the baby explore his cage was a hoot , he was in such a small cage before , he could barely turn around
Whoever gets this cage from Kings will be extremely satisfied and your bird will love you for it

 

[Alisana]

I saw this one here King's Cages - Avian and Pet Bird Cages, Supplies, Food, Toys, Perches, Aviaries, Pluck No More

I did a search for the "506" and couldn't find it. Might not be looking properly though XD

Edit: Just saw these! My god, are they cute!

http://www.kingscages.com/SearchResults.aspx?CategoryID=Toys&SubCatID=Foot Toys FOOT TOYS!!!

 

[ann]

a great supply store is "mysafebirdstore.com", its a great place for you to do all your birdies shopping ! you are so prepared, you will be a FANTASTIC macaw owner!

 

[luvmytooo]

I saw this one here King's Cages - Avian and Pet Bird Cages, Supplies, Food, Toys, Perches, Aviaries, Pluck No More

I did a search for the "506" and couldn't find it. Might not be looking properly though XD

Edit: Just saw these! My god, are they cute!

Bird Cage, Java Wood Perch, Avian Supplies, Pluck No More, Bird Food FOOT TOYS!!!

I love the foot toys too !! I had gotten them for Stella and they lasted for about two minutes , lololol. I thought she would like the crocs because she is always after mine , lol. Well, she ripped into one and it was in pieces in seconds , lol.
Them she looked back at me and was like " he he , nice try " , lololol.

 

[Alisana]

I saw this one here King's Cages - Avian and Pet Bird Cages, Supplies, Food, Toys, Perches, Aviaries, Pluck No More

I did a search for the "506" and couldn't find it. Might not be looking properly though XD

Edit: Just saw these! My god, are they cute!

Bird Cage, Java Wood Perch, Avian Supplies, Pluck No More, Bird Food FOOT TOYS!!!

I love the foot toys too !! I had gotten them for Stella and they lasted for about two minutes , lololol. I thought she would like the crocs because she is always after mine , lol. Well, she ripped into one and it was in pieces in seconds , lol.
Them she looked back at me and was like " he he , nice try " , lololol.

Oh wow! *laughs*

And here I was sitting there considering "Do I get the 6 pack, 60 pack or 100 pack??" haha - guess I go for the bigger pack so I have more on hand!

I am going to need a LOT of foot toys for when I bring my macaw into work with me - otherwise I can see them shredding papers and assignments XD I can imagine trying to explain to a student..

"Uhh... can you submit your assignment again? The parrot ate it...."

I hear these are good as well

If you stuff treats in the middle then put confetti or some sort of stuffing in both ends, apparently they love it !

It's so exciting! I love shopping, haha

 

[Aims]

I saw this one here King's Cages - Avian and Pet Bird Cages, Supplies, Food, Toys, Perches, Aviaries, Pluck No More

I did a search for the "506" and couldn't find it. Might not be looking properly though XD

Edit: Just saw these! My god, are they cute!

Bird Cage, Java Wood Perch, Avian Supplies, Pluck No More, Bird Food FOOT TOYS!!!

Here is a link for the Cage the others were talking about.
http://www.kingscages.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=506
I am adding a B&G to my family later this year. So I am having the same trouble with cages. The ones here in Australia that say Macaw cage, just don't seem like they would be adequate for a macaw.

 

[Aims]

The only problem with ordering a cage from the US into Australia, is that you might have to ask them to remove the perch before sending as wood is not allowed through customs. I am not sure if they will do that though.

Has anyone else in Australia (on here) imported a cage?

 

[luvmytooo]

I saw this one here King's Cages - Avian and Pet Bird Cages, Supplies, Food, Toys, Perches, Aviaries, Pluck No More

I did a search for the "506" and couldn't find it. Might not be looking properly though XD

Edit: Just saw these! My god, are they cute!

Bird Cage, Java Wood Perch, Avian Supplies, Pluck No More, Bird Food FOOT TOYS!!!

I love the foot toys too !! I had gotten them for Stella and they lasted for about two minutes , lololol. I thought she would like the crocs because she is always after mine , lol. Well, she ripped into one and it was in pieces in seconds , lol.
Them she looked back at me and was like " he he , nice try " , lololol.

Oh wow! *laughs*

And here I was sitting there considering "Do I get the 6 pack, 60 pack or 100 pack??" haha - guess I go for the bigger pack so I have more on hand!

I am going to need a LOT of foot toys for when I bring my macaw into work with me - otherwise I can see them shredding papers and assignments XD I can imagine trying to explain to a student..

"Uhh... can you submit your assignment again? The parrot ate it...."

I hear these are good as well

If you stuff treats in the middle then put confetti or some sort of stuffing in both ends, apparently they love it !

It's so exciting! I love shopping, haha

Oh those are awesome !!!! All my birds LOVE those , lol.
Especially my Stella . My boy Yoshi rips out the confetti in pure bliss
Rosie must rearrange the strips of confetti before tearing into it , lol.
The baby couldnt figure out what to do with them , so he carried it to each food bowl , lol. Every time I would look for it , it would be in a different bowl
Be creative with foot toys to save money. I try to string together pieces of torn toys with leather bought from MSBS and Stella loves them.

Stella snaps those huge pieces of plastic chain like they're Q-tips
The ones that escape un broken , I string together again.
I also bought a stainless steel toy from MSBS and she LOVES it.
Those are the greatest toys , no parts come off but are all moveable so it keeps her entertained for hours and gets her a little P-Oed too , lolol.

 

[lene1949]

Anyone gotten cages from these guys?

Birds - Pet Supply | GTmall Online

 

[Aims]

Anyone gotten cages from these guys?

Birds - Pet Supply | GTmall Online

What bird are you thinking of putting in one of their cages? The bars are only 3mm thickness. The bigger birds like Macaws need them thicker 5 or 6mm is best.

Stay away from Avi-one cages they are made in china (but are the ones that most pet stores in Australia seem to sell) and rust really quickly.

 

[lene1949]

I'm thinking of getting bigger/better cages for Max and Paulie - Alexandrine and Eclectus...

The wire thickness depends on which cage you're looking at... They all vary...

 

[JJones1719]

You want to find a cage that measures 36 inches by 48 inches, by 78 inches. Macaws should not be inside any cage smaller then these measurements. Best of luck Joe

 

[Alisana]

[...]
Be creative with foot toys to save money. I try to string together pieces of torn toys with leather bought from MSBS and Stella loves them.

Stella snaps those huge pieces of plastic chain like they're Q-tips
The ones that escape un broken , I string together again.
I also bought a stainless steel toy from MSBS and she LOVES it.
Those are the greatest toys , no parts come off but are all moveable so it keeps her entertained for hours and gets her a little P-Oed too , lolol.

That sounds like a good idea. I'm thinking of building a toy-parts wall in my garage or having a large storage cupboard so when one toy breaks, I can repair or build a new one From what I gather, it seems you can never have enough toys.

I'm trying my hand at making some small toys at the moment for my budgies. Using Australian native plants and the like. Today I saw a flowering bottle brush and was looking at it so grabbed a cutting to put in their cage. I'll see tomorrow if they decided to check out the bottlebrush flowers or not.

I'm going to make a trip down to Bunnings [hardware store] either this week or next to pick up some stainless steel wire and a small drill to see what I can put together for the budgies. Figure, if I start practicing by making small toys now, I'll see how it goes when I make the big ones.

 

[Alisana]

That sounds like a good idea. I'm thinking of building a toy-parts wall in my garage or having a large storage cupboard so when one toy breaks, I can repair or build a new one From what I gather, it seems you can never have enough toys.

I'm trying my hand at making some small toys at the moment for my budgies. Using Australian native plants and the like. Today I saw a flowering bottle brush and was looking at it so grabbed a cutting to put in their cage. I'll see tomorrow if they decided to check out the bottlebrush flowers or not.

I'm going to make a trip down to Bunnings [hardware store] either this week or next to pick up some stainless steel wire and a small drill to see what I can put together for the budgies. Figure, if I start practicing by making small toys now, I'll see how it goes when I make the big ones.

It's gonna be interesting heating the wood up in the oven though.

Saw this tutorial online: How to Dry Wood for Parrot Play Gyms | eHow.com

Is that about accurate? I'm not sure of the idea of bleach - I hear vinegar is better.

Suggestions?

 

[bumblebec]

GT Mall is cheap, but you get what you pay for. Their cages are not GREAT quality... I ordered one and it was kinda rusty and nasty. :\ The "Double Bird Cage with Divider" is pretty much the biggest Macaw-size cage you can get in AUS without getting something custom made.

There is a place in Melbourne that imports HQ cages direct from China, I checked them out this weekend and they had some fantastic cages. I would try and find something similar in QLD, but as you have mentioned you can look at importing a cage from overseas from somewhere like the UK, but it's very expensive. You also need someone to take delivery of the cage in the UK then ship it to you personally.

EDIT: I should add, the place in Melbourne had the high-quality HQ Cage version of this cage, it was really great. So see if you can find a place in QLD or maybe even NSW/NT if you want to make a road trip of it and pick it up? I'm sure that you could even work something out with one of the pet shops out of QLD and see if they could freight one to you. I'd be happy to help you organise something or take pictures of cages for you form the place in Melbourne if you do want to look at that option, their cages were really good.

 

[bumblebec]

I would also be very careful if you are planning to house your Macaw outside from time to time. People in Australia are terrible with stealing rare and expensive birds, I would not even leave him looking out a window for more then a few minutes if you're house is on the street. I would also speak to some of the neighbours you know or trust, as they can help can keep an eye out for potentional thieves for you, too.

My breeder has a few pairs of Macaws (as well as a lot of other rare birds) and actually has two guard dogs and security cameras set up. Security cameras are a lot cheaper then you'd think they'd be, so I'd look into them too. I know several people who have had birds stolen from their house or backyard while they've been out or at work and have never gotten them back. People steal Macaws from pet shops often enough, houses are even easier for them.

I'd just be really careful.

 

[Oedipussrex]

Anyone gotten cages from these guys?

Birds - Pet Supply | GTmall Online

This is the seller my powder coated cage is from. It came in a timely manner, and in good condition, it has also stood up well since.

although i have to say that it is not the same cage i thought i was getting. It is VERY similar, but the door latches, and placement of the food bowl doors is slightly different, like it is a newer/older model than the one in their pictures. Does a very good job though, and we didn't bother contesting it.

 

[Alisana]

I would also be very careful if you are planning to house your Macaw outside from time to time. People in Australia are terrible with stealing rare and expensive birds, I would not even leave him looking out a window for more then a few minutes if you're house is on the street. I would also speak to some of the neighbours you know or trust, as they can help can keep an eye out for potentional thieves for you, too.

My breeder has a few pairs of Macaws (as well as a lot of other rare birds) and actually has two guard dogs and security cameras set up. Security cameras are a lot cheaper then you'd think they'd be, so I'd look into them too. I know several people who have had birds stolen from their house or backyard while they've been out or at work and have never gotten them back. People steal Macaws from pet shops often enough, houses are even easier for them.

I'd just be really careful.

Yeah, I've heard the same as well. I posted an article a few weeks ago regarding a pair of Blue and Golds who were stolen; and last year someone had I believe $130k worth of birds stolen as well.

I'm thinking of getting this system: Logitech Alert 750e Oudoor Master Video Surveillance System with Night Vision

Night vision, remote view, weather proof. The place I'm in currently has a back-to-base alarm system, but I'm not sure what the new place will have. (We'll be moving early next year) If it doesn't come with an alarm system, we may just install one anyway.

It's such a worry. One guy who lives in the same town as me (recently started breeding B&Gs) has even put in an electric fence to protect his pair!