Homemade Chicken Wire Cage?

[Wraith]

So I made a very large bird cage for my conure using chicken wire and untreated wood. There are some areas on the inside where the cut edges are stapled. Would this be safe for my conure? Or what could I use to attach and cover the cut ends of the wire? Would I need to cover the staples and cut ends? Advice please! I made one as the one you can buy aren't big enough. I like to go big or go home.

 

[wrench13]

Chicken wire is NOT safe for parrots, period. Besides the sharp points you mentioned, chicken wire is steel wire that is zinc plated or galvanized. Zinc is poisonous to parrots. You just made a death trap for your conure. Please, get a commercial parrot cage, steel powder coated or in stainless steel.

 

[SailBoat]

So you are going to start raising chickens!?! Well you have a great start...

Oh, you want to place your conure in this cage build for chickens!?!

Hmmm, could be some problems with that; Would require that you have a Certified Avian Vet (CAV) on-call and a Heavy Metal Identification Kit pre-paid-for, by you, ready for your conure.

The sharp edges on stuff, well like above; if you have that CAV on-call, why not, its your Parrot, your choice.

Personally, I see this as setting your conure up for more problems than a Companion Parrot should have to face!

But, that's my two-cents.

 

[Wraith]

I had it made ahead of time and was wondering if I could use it, but knowing this it can stay in storage till it rots. I thought it was only lead and other metals along that line that was poisonous. She is in an appropriately sized cage but I'd like larger. Thank you for that. I didn't find anything on zinc being lethal.

 

[Wraith]

She is not in it. I should have clarified. She is in a safe one.

 

[SailBoat]

I had it made ahead of time and was wondering if I could use it, but knowing this it can stay in storage till it rots. I thought it was only lead and other metals along that line that was poisonous. She is in an appropriately sized cage but I'd like larger. Thank you for that. I didn't find anything on zinc being lethal.

Could always check CDC for Heavy Metals dangerous for Humans and Parrots.

FYI: Sorry, I missed that you are in Canada, but Canada has a like agency.

 

[Wraith]

What I could find was lead. That was it, everything else was on cleaners and painting tips. Thank you all for letting me know. I just had it in storage and was curious. But it will not see the light of day now. Thank you again. Honestly.

 

[SailBoat]

What I could find was lead. That was it, everything else was on cleaners and painting tips. Thank you all for letting me know. I just had it in storage and was curious. But it will not see the light of day now. Thank you again. Honestly.

Understandable! Zinc is the silent killer, since it's big brother kills far more publicly! Both have been used extensively over the years, but since Lead is cheaper and melts at a lower temperature and blends easily with other 'stuff' (think paint). Zinc has been in the background killing quietly. It was first noted as a problem when Zinc diecast facilities start to noticing all the dead birds outside their facilities (by the hundreds).

Early on Zinc coating on Steel was noted as a way to halting the effects of rust! As a cheap means of coating Steel, the long standing problem with fencing rusting away, zinc coating was the answer. It added little to the cost since simply dipping it in hot Zinc (galvanizing) at the end of the build line, prior to winding was low cost compared to any other method at that time.

Whats the problem with Zinc coating? The process is not prefect as it commonly results in thin flakes at corners, etc... In addition, it is not a strong bond and will easily flake off as a Parrot's beak, simply works back and forth across it. The parrot ingests it and like all heavy metals, it tends to find places to hide and those places are major organs, including the Brain.

If it is heavy on the periodic scale, its commonly a problem.

 

[Terry57]

I think it's great you double checked before putting your conure in it
We got several of our cages from Kijiji, you may be able to find a really good deal there on a larger cage for your baby.

 

[Behxo]

I personally like Prevue bird cages, I have two large ones for my GCC one for at home and one at work. You can find them on Amazon

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I also like Prevue cages and all my cages are Prevue. Here are the Amazon links to each of my cages (for small parrots such as green cheeks, tiels, lovebirds, budgies, etc.)

Bluebell’s cage: https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Pet-P...=1513009428&sr=8-16&keywords=prevue+bird+cage
Note: I have it in white

Ducky’s cage: https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Produ...d=1513009428&sr=8-4&keywords=prevue+bird+cage

Kermit’s cage: https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Produ...3009597&sr=1-7&keywords=prevue+cockatiel+cage