Stainless Steel Cages

[Moxie]

I have been looking around for some new cages for the kids and I want to go stainless. I know quite a few stainless steel companies but I am looking for who do you think has the best cages and why.

My mini macaws don't require anything special but my hyacinth is very strong and very destructive. So for Moxie I am going to need something made extremely well and rather large. I would appreciate any ideas that you might have. I am still in a bit of sticker shock, I can't believe how much bird cages have gone up in price.

 

[SailBoat]

Our Amazons have enjoyed BirdCages4Less cages.

Yes, massive difference between an Amazon of Size and a Mac of Size, but one reality stays the same; Good size, too huge Parrots are ruff on cages.

Regardless of material used, it all comes down to the welds. Welding bars required a balancing game between developing the needed heat or blowing the weld apart with too much heat, since bar welding is much like spot or tack welding. Sadly, this is all about the individual welder and whether they are having a great day or not, more than the organization.

Today, near all cages are manufactured by one of three (3) companies, all located in China. Those that are 'front door' manufacturers (also sell their own product) tend to work to provide a higher quality as warranty is their problem, whereas, what they sell as Shipping Container orders tend to meet quality standards, but...

- What stainless steel provides you is no problem with Parrots wearing off the powder coating...
- It is Bar diameter that provides strength and the 'likelihood' of a stronger weld...

We shop features for our Amazons:
- Full height cage door!!!
- Play top, not dome top.
- Natural wood branches compared to dowels.
- Stainless steel or ceramic bowls. (Buy extras!!!)

 

[Moxie]

Our Amazons have enjoyed BirdCages4Less cages.

Yes, massive difference between an Amazon of Size and a Mac of Size, but one reality stays the same; Good size, too huge Parrots are ruff on cages.

Regardless of material used, it all comes down to the welds. Welding bars required a balancing game between developing the needed heat or blowing the weld apart with too much heat, since bar welding is much like spot or tack welding. Sadly, this is all about the individual welder and whether they are having a great day or not, more than the organization.

Today, near all cages are manufactured by one of three (3) companies, all located in China. Those that are 'front door' manufacturers (also sell their own product) tend to work to provide a higher quality as warranty is their problem, whereas, what they sell as Shipping Container orders tend to meet quality standards, but...

- What stainless steel provides you is no problem with Parrots wearing off the powder coating...
- It is Bar diameter that provides strength and the 'likelihood' of a stronger weld...

We shop features for our Amazons:
- Full height cage door!!!
- Play top, not dome top.
- Natural wood branches compared to dowels.
- Stainless steel or ceramic bowls. (Buy extras!!!)

I have 3 older stainless steel cages, good quality cages. Two that I couldn't even tell you who made them and I have had to get them repaired a few times through the years. The third is an expandable habitat cage I have had it a long time and there are things I like about it, like it comes apart where the other two do not. Then there are things I don't like about it.

I thought I would ask around for recommendation so I could check then all out before I made my final decision. I would never even waste my money on any cage with bars less that 1/4" or 6 mm for a hyacinth because I know first hand that the cage will not last. We have had our share of broken welds and they can be repaired. I always locate local trade schools or colleges that offer welding or automotive classes because I can usually get weld repairs fairly cheap. They are done by the students and overseen by the teacher.

I have never had a problem with these three removing the powder coating but Moxie has left bite marks in it. They have experienced a lot of scuffs and dents from moving so I didn't want to drop a bunch of money on new cages before we moved.

We like dome top or flat top cages absolutely no play tops, out of cage time means out and away from the cage. Dome and flat top cages provide more interior cage space for the bird. I can see where there are some instances where they would be of benefit, smaller bird and smaller house. I guess it all comes down to preferences, space and lifestyle.

I have a pretty big stash of natural wood perches and I live in the land of abundant mesquite trees with a janka hardness of 2300 plus, no dowels here

I appreciate you taking the time to respond and if you know of any companies that make quality stainless steel cages please let me know.

 

[Scott]

I have a pair of older S.S. cages, one purchased online of dubious quality, the other acquired from a local avian shop. Moxie will need the most robust iteration available, perhaps locating a brick/mortar store a best if not arduous option.

Is "Texoma" an approximation for the TX/OK border or literally the town of Texhoma in W. Texas? (not seeking your exact locale!) May be worth searching for specialty stores in the DFW area for hands-on assessment.

 

[wrench13]

I would kill for a pile of mesquite branches like that!

 

[Laurasea]

I would kill for a pile of mesquite branches like that!

She could sell them on Ebay!!!

 

[Moxie]

I have a pair of older S.S. cages, one purchased online of dubious quality, the other acquired from a local avian shop. Moxie will need the most robust iteration available, perhaps locating a brick/mortar store a best if not arduous option.

Is "Texoma" an approximation for the TX/OK border or literally the town of Texhoma in W. Texas? (not seeking your exact locale!) May be worth searching for specialty stores in the DFW area for hands-on assessment.

Very good Scott! Yes Texoma is an acronym for Texas/Oklahoma and I live on the Texas side.

Last year I searched the DFW area for bird stores and armed with the list I made we went to DFW and none of the three stores that I found online existed anymore.

Kookaburra Bird Shop, LLC - 1845 E Frankford Rd - Carrollton, TX 75007 - 1-972-492-0841
Pampered Parrot - 8468 Camp Bowie W Blvd - Fort Worth, TX 76116 - 1-817-244-4080
Glamour Pets - 11401 Elam Rd - Balch Springs, TX 75180 - 1-972-557-7387

Before that I called a so called pet store about 30 minutes from me to ask about cages and the lady told me she had a huge one so I jumped in my truck and headed to buy a cage. When I got there the lady showed me a cage that I would hate to put Kenny in and it wasn’t even stainless steel it was just a cage made to look like stainless.

I would love nothing more than to walk into a store and buy a cage but I know of no such place to do that. My best chance would probably be Austin, San Antonio or Houston and I would only want to make that trip if I was sure that it would be a worthy trip.

I have been looking online in the OKC area but I am not finding much. It is about the same distance to OKC as it is to Dallas.

I had found a really nice walk in aviary in stainless steel that I like but it is no longer on the website and I am not certain that I am going to have room for it. I found a couple of Kings cages that I liked for the kids and I also found some featherland cages but I know nothing about them other than they say online that they fold.

You’re right about the cage Hyacinths have freakishly strong beaks. Moxie went through a phase where she tried to break anything she could get her beak on. I can’t use any quick links smaller than ¼” or she will remove the part that you screw close and bend the ends in. I had to get creative attaching things to her cage. Of the three hyacinths that I have she is the smallest and the most destructive, I think it is just her age she is only six years old and we are still working on her manners. The other two are old I can’t even tell you how old but they have manners and know how to act like a lady.

 

[Moxie]

I would kill for a pile of mesquite branches like that!

All of those are not mesquite some are other bird safe woods. I make use of all the wood I harvest. I have buckets of smaller branches that I give them as foot toys. I would be embarrassed I think to show much wood I have gather up this past year. When I see neighbors cutting trees and if I like what I see (right size and bird safe tree) I will offer to haul off the wood for them so I can go through it for what I want. If I see a pile of wood by the road side I will stop and ask for some of it.

I would kill for a pile of mesquite branches like that!

She could sell them on Ebay!!!

You think? I mean at the current moment I don't have the time for it but maybe once the house it put back together I might. What do you think it would be worth? Branches and boxes of cut, any idea?

 

[Moxie]

Here are some of the smaller pieces of wood in my stash

 

[Laurasea]

I would kill for a pile of mesquite branches like that!

All of those are not mesquite some are other bird safe woods. I make use of all the wood I harvest. I have buckets of smaller branches that I give them as foot toys. I would be embarrassed I think to show much wood I have gather up this past year. When I see neighbors cutting trees and if I like what I see (right size and bird safe tree) I will offer to haul off the wood for them so I can go through it for what I want. If I see a pile of wood by the road side I will stop and ask for some of it.

I would kill for a pile of mesquite branches like that!

She could sell them on Ebay!!!

You think? I mean at the current moment I don't have the time for it but maybe once the house it put back together I might. What do you think it would be worth? Branches and boxes of cut, any idea?

I dont know idea of what to charge. But many people don't have access to wood like you do. and there is such a lack of nice wood for medium and large parrots. So I think there is a market for sure. But would they find you on ebsy i don't know?? You might talk private bird stores into selling it? I absolutely think people would want!

I have crepe myrtle trees so I can cut big branches, my parakeet and GCC and quakers love big branches, even ones so large i can't close my hand around!

 

[Moxie]

I would kill for a pile of mesquite branches like that!

All of those are not mesquite some are other bird safe woods. I make use of all the wood I harvest. I have buckets of smaller branches that I give them as foot toys. I would be embarrassed I think to show much wood I have gather up this past year. When I see neighbors cutting trees and if I like what I see (right size and bird safe tree) I will offer to haul off the wood for them so I can go through it for what I want. If I see a pile of wood by the road side I will stop and ask for some of it.

She could sell them on Ebay!!!

You think? I mean at the current moment I don't have the time for it but maybe once the house it put back together I might. What do you think it would be worth? Branches and boxes of cut, any idea?

I dont know idea of what to charge. But many people don't have access to wood like you do. and there is such a lack of nice wood for medium and large parrots. So I think there is a market for sure. But would they find you on ebsy i don't know?? You might talk private bird stores into selling it? I absolutely think people would want!

I have crepe myrtle trees so I can cut big branches, my parakeet and GCC and quakers love big branches, even ones so large i can't close my hand around!

Yeah crepe myrtle trees are nice I have taken down a few of those and they have long thin perches great for my little ones. I only got a few bigger pieces but there are a lot of crepe myrtle trees around this area and pecan trees, oak trees, sycamore trees, sweet gum, mesquite trees, desert willow trees.

Thank you for the idea I really appreciate it and I will be giving it some thought.

 

[Jazzop]

Has anyone looked into veterinary or laboratory caging suppliers? They make some robust and hygienic stuff, but much of it seems designed for cramming lots of critters in a small space. Just hoping someone has already done some research, lest I reinvent the wheel. Nonetheless, I will probably go down that rabbit hole, as I am very unhappy with pretty much everything on the "consumer-grade" market.

I wash my birds and cages in one process-- roll them outdoors, apply the garden hose with various settings and intensities, then let them dry and preen in the sun, while mimicking every bird/dog/siren in the neighborhood. Consumer-grade cages have several flaws:

1. Major frame structure is too small to accommodate common stem casters, making the wheels the weakest link in this process.
2. The lateral dimensions of cages, with seed guards attached, do not seem to have been designed with any concern for passing through standard door openings.
3. The steel may be powder-coated on the outside, but it rots from the inside.

 

[wrench13]

Hi Jazzoo. King cages are supposed to be the best out there. But I believe that all cages are made by 1 or 2 manufacturers in CHina (to varying specifications).

Casters - they make an insert for using a round stem caster in the square tube, try McMaster Carr for those and any type of caster you want.
I chucked my seed guards, they don't seem to catch much and you are right they bulk up the cage and also don't fit thru doorways.

 

[Jazzop]

Hi Jazzoo. King cages are supposed to be the best out there. But I believe that all cages are made by 1 or 2 manufacturers in CHina (to varying specifications).

Casters - they make an insert for using a round stem caster in the square tube, try McMaster Carr for those and any type of caster you want.
I chucked my seed guards, they don't seem to catch much and you are right they bulk up the cage and also don't fit thru doorways.

Just looked at their products...not anywhere close to the level of quality I am seeking. For their prices, I could buy a boatload of 316L stainless and a welder, and do it myself. As for casters, I am looking for something with a large diameter polyurethane wheel (such as under a mechanic's toolbox), not cheap plastic stuff like one finds in the bottom of an office chair. I just can't get my head around the prices of these poorly made cages using inferior materials, with tacky, baroque shapes. Another annoyance is the tendency toward verticality. The higher my bird can climb in the cage, the farther he can projectile-sh*t on the floor. I want a short ranch-house design.

 

[MacawLoverOf3]

As for casters, I am looking for something with a large diameter polyurethane wheel (such as under a mechanic's toolbox), not cheap plastic stuff like one finds in the bottom of an office chair.

The above was posted a couple of month but still good info. Tricia from EH suggested using the roller blade wheels (which I then had her send me for all 3 cages) and those have made a difference. I can move with one hand the biggest cage that is 4x4 without the paper stored under it, meaning that condo weighs more because of the additional SS weight. Yes, one hand but I still use two to help steer it. I forget exactly which type she said to get, I just bought them from her, as there are differences in the wheels. The one set of wheels had been in use from '94 to '18 and needed to be replaced and am so glad I changed to these.

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