Wrought Iron, Aluminum, Stainless Steel Cage Suggestions

[jiannotto9492]

I have an Indian Ringneck and I'm currently looking for a new cage to upgrade to. Can anyone give me suggestions and some insight on the different types of cages?

 

[RavensGryf]

Ones that I'd suggest for parrots would be powder coated, stainless steel, or aluminum.

Powder coated are the most popular. I'd recommend a parrot cage rather than a flight cage for the size of an IRN. Although many people use flight cages for parrots because they're less expensive, I wouldn't recommend it because the bars are too flimsy/thin if a bird with the size beak of an IRN or larger decides to bite it and bend it or break welds.

There are different quality of powder coated, with Avian Adventures currently being among the top brands. I've never used their cages but I have seen them. The down side of powder coated is if you leave them wet (I used to spray them in the cage and not wipe it down after) it will shorten the life of the cage. It rusted and paint chipped after a while. Robin had a well made one (company went out of business) but it lasted a good 15+ years before it started going downhill. Most powder coated will look like they can stand replacing in much less time than that.

There is stainless steel, but unless you get an amazing deal on a used one, they are very expensive, but it would be a good investment, as it will last forever.

Griffin had to have his powder coated cage replaced after his new habit of biting the bars until the paint was chipped off on extensive areas. I couldn't believe it. I got him an aluminum cage. Kings is the only one I know of now who makes them. Drawback is I hate the feeder doors and the cups it came with, and my after market bolt on ones are a pain. Another drawback is that poop sticks to the aluminum and is not as easy to clean off the grate. Have to spray and let it sit, where poop comes off the powder coated grates a bit easier. The plus side is it's lightweight, water doesn't harm it, and looks nice/modern.

 

[jiannotto9492]

Ones that I'd suggest for parrots would be powder coated, stainless steel, or aluminum.

Powder coated are the most popular. I'd recommend a parrot cage rather than a flight cage for the size of an IRN. Although many people use flight cages for parrots because they're less expensive, I wouldn't recommend it because the bars are too flimsy/thin if a bird with the size beak of an IRN or larger decides to bite it and bend it or break welds.

There are different quality of powder coated, with Avian Adventures currently being among the top brands. I've never used their cages but I have seen them. The down side of powder coated is if you leave them wet (I used to spray them in the cage and not wipe it down after) it will shorten the life of the cage. It rusted and paint chipped after a while. Robin had a well made one (company went out of business) but it lasted a good 15+ years before it started going downhill. Most powder coated will look like they can stand replacing in much less time than that.

There is stainless steel, but unless you get an amazing deal on a used one, they are very expensive, but it would be a good investment, as it will last forever.

Griffin had to have his powder coated cage replaced after his new habit of biting the bars until the paint was chipped off on extensive areas. I couldn't believe it. I got him an aluminum cage. Kings is the only one I know of now who makes them. Drawback is I hate the feeder doors and the cups it came with, and my after market bolt on ones are a pain. Another drawback is that poop sticks to the aluminum and is not as easy to clean off the grate. Have to spray and let it sit, where poop comes off the powder coated grates a bit easier. The plus side is it's lightweight, water doesn't harm it, and looks nice/modern.

Can you elaborate on the feeder for the aluminum cage and can you link me to the aftermarket ones?

 

[RavensGryf]

This is the outside of the feeder doors.

This is what it looks like on the inside


This is what the back of the cups look like


Here is the cup sitting in the corresponding grooves. It doesn't slide in very easily or quickly. In fact the difficulty of getting these cups in the built in holder is ridiculous. If there was water in it, it would spill all over with the jerking motion and bit of force it takes to get the cup out.

The feeder door has a slide in pin, but is sometimes hard to latch once the cup is on

Another thing I don't like about the cups is the "D" shape. Harder to clean for bacteria in the corners. Since this I found impossible to use thesr on a daily basis, I got these bolt on ss cups.

The nut holding the hanger eventually comes loose and slides and has to be periodically tightened, but I suppose it's not as big a deal as having to open the main door every single time to remove the food and water. Griffin is very territorial over his pellet dish. Not the fresh food or water dishes, but watch out when it comes to the pellet dish! I have to make sure he's clear out of the way before I service that dish, and that he doesn't come out of the cage when I need him to stay. It's a pain because he's semi-wild and I can't touch him. I am thinking about going back to the tedious original cup and door contraption for the pellets at least.

Here's Griffin and his friend Raven lounging on Griffin's cage. Griffin's the smaller guy on the door.

 

[OOwl]

Gosh, Julie, I'm glad I read this. I had been considering getting one of my lovebirds the aluminum cage. I have to change his water about 3x a day because he's a food dunker, so that would drive me crazy. That water/food bowl looks cuss-worthy. He is currently in a King's cage, but the food and water doors are really easy. I hope they fix those on the next model. Tabled purchase until that changes. That's a deal-killer for me. Thank you.

 

[jiannotto9492]

So I did some more research and ordered the aluminum cage. I also discovered that King sells stainless steel bowls to go onto the feeder doors. I'm going to wait and make a final decision on if I want to buy the bowls.

 

[Kiwibird]

Here's Griffin and his friend Raven lounging on Griffin's cage. Griffin's the smaller guy on the door.

The naughtier 2 of your boys are looking very healthy and handsome

 

[RavensGryf]

Oowl, those cups and feeder doors are definitely "cuss-worthy"!! Whoever designed that made a mistake big time. Now that I know they have an SS option for that cage, I'll have to contact King's and see what they're like, how they work with those weird feeder doors. If it's something good I'll let you know!

Jiannotto, I hope you like the cage. Overall I think it's really nice. I noticed on the Kings website, they still only have that one size in the 2 styles. I think I got the last blue one. They said about a year ago when I got it, that they were going to get a new manufacturer and have more sizes, styles, and colors available to choose from. This was supposed to have happened a while ago. Wonder what happened.

Thanks April . He is definitely a naughty one!

 

[jiannotto9492]

I called them and they told me that they started production again.

 

[jiannotto9492]

@RavensGryf what do you use to clean your cage?

 

[RavensGryf]

@RavensGryf what do you use to clean your cage?

Right now I use Avinol-3. It is a wide spectrum germicide/virucide for both enveloped and non-enveloped avian viruses, meaning it initiates everything! A product like F-10 I think. My vet helped develop it, and I buy it from his store. Besides disinfecting, it dissolves stuck on poop better than Poop Off. I still have to let it sit a few minutes on the aluminum cage. I spray the poop spots, then go clean Robin or Raven's powder coated cages which clean more easily, then go back to Griffin's aluminum one after. I think maybe the reason the poop sticks so tight is it's such a smooth surface as compared to the powder coated surfaces. Idk.

But I'm considering only using the Avinol for disinfecting new toys and stuff like that from now on. It's pretty expensive at the rate I go through it. Maybe I'll start using vinegar although I don't like the smell, or other bird cleaners out there. I figure I don't need the expensive, extra powerful virucide just for my boys' regular cleaning.

I'd like to find Chlorhexidine again. Maybe I can order online. It's a disinfectant, but not as wide spectrum, though it would be sufficient for regular cleaning. It's gentle, and can even be used for cleaning skin wounds. It's used in both the veterinary and human medical field. I used to buy it at a bird store that closed down.
Chlorhexidine Facts: Consumer Information
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorhexidine

Sorry, that's probably a way more thorough answer than you expected!

 

[jiannotto9492]

You can definitely find some online. I just wanted to know if there was anything special that you used for the aluminum cage.

 

[RavensGryf]

You can definitely find some online. I just wanted to know if there was anything special that you used for the aluminum cage.

I really wish there was something 'special' to clean that aluminum grate with!

 

[jiannotto9492]

I'm probably going to try the vinegar and lemon juice approach if that doesn't work so well I'll get one of those dedicated sprays.

 

[jiannotto9492]

Here's Curry in his new aluminum cage!

 

[RavensGryf]

It looks great! It came right away! Mine came to CA pretty quickly too, and like I say, overall I really like it. I think you and Curry will love his too.

Did you happen to get 4 small black plastic pieces with the cage parts? They look like they go in corners (during assembly) to hold the cage more stable. I put my cage together, then I realized those went somewhere lol. It's okay without it, but just wondering.

Oh, and did you get the SS dishes? Or those plastic ones like I have that didn't fit the grooves very well?

 

[jiannotto9492]

My plastic bowls fit fine for me. I had to get them on the first time to make them work. I didn't put the rubber pieces on as well. I'm going to use the plastic bowls and make a final decision on getting the stainless steel bowls but after a full day I'm alright with the plastic ones. And yeah being in NY I got mine in a day once they processed it.

 

[Flboy]

I'm probably going to try the vinegar and lemon juice approach if that doesn't work so well I'll get one of those dedicated sprays.

I would be concerned about the high acidity! But, this may be more of an issue with soaking.
Why not go the steam cleaner route?

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

The best cage you can get for a parrot that is a chewer is a powder coat stainless steel. They are virtually indestructible (as far as chewing goes) and they are non-toxic (if you go the 'genuine' route).

As for cleaning, my vet recommends plain soap (preferably Dawn) along with hot water and thorough rinsing.

IF you are concerned about bacteria, you can use a diluted (1-10) bleach solution provided it is thoroughly rinsed. That's what I use to clean Skittles pedi-perch. You can also use vinegar.

I wouldn't go with the lemon juice, mainly because I think it would be sticky and not sure how the acidity would affect the bars.

I do know vinegar is safe since many vets will actually recommend a diluted apple cider vinegar solution to their water to help clear up excess yeast. So it's not toxic.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

How do you keep the cage from turning over like that? Is it screwed into the wall? haha