Ideal Cages for Greys Sticky

[Giannine]

I think it would be awesome for new or potentially new Grey owners to be able to read a sticky here on minimum cage size requirements as well as other helpful hints from existing Grey owners as to what to look for in a cage (eg: seed skirt, playtop, and other features). I was told that minimum should be 32" or 36" but every 32" cage I see includes the seed skirt, making the inside dimensions smaller. Advise, please? I haven't seen many 36" ages.

 

This is the one I am considering:http://www.ebay.com/itm/231896422822?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Thoughts?

[Talon]

Yes, we do not have a sticky about cage size, as it can cause some issues. We all have our own beliefs. Personally, the bigger the better. In my opinion. I have 2 greys and an Amazon. They have macaw size dome cages. Once you fill them with toys and perches Eric. They become quite small.

 

I love the cage you posted. Keep in mind, greys like to be up high, so the bottom half will rarely be used

[Acappella]

Keep in mind, greys like to be up high, so the bottom half will rarely be used

 

Yeah, it's been years since I've seen Dorian in the bottom half of his cage.

[alex2014]

I agree higher off the ground is better. My greys like it when i put egg cartons and cardboard boxes in the bottom for them

[Timbersmom]

Timber actually spends quite a bit of time on the bottom of his cage... goring his artichoke, chasing his ball etc. I am in the "get as big as you can afford and have space for camp." Timber's cage is very large and he uses all of it. As Talon said, when you get all the perches, bowls and toys in you want to make sure there is plenty of room for your bird.

[Luvparrots]

My CAG and TAG do not go to the bottom of their cages. They spend their cage time on the long perch or at the food perches. They just wait for out of cage time. They love to follow me around the rooms and sit at my couch to snack or get tickled by me. Sterling Gris beats on his toys a little but Ana Grey does not. Different personalities for my babies.

[Giannine]

Thank you for all of your input and feedback! I actually just found an XL cage off of Craigslist for $200 with toys. I am getting it tomorrow. It is 66" H x 36" W x 28" D. I still believe there should be some type of basic guide maybe giving the minimum cage size these birds should go in. I almost bought too small of a cage, thinking a medium size would be fine.

This is the cage I decided to get [ATTACH=CONFIG]26571[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26572[/ATTACH]

[birdhouse]

Something's not working for me. I'm getting "Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator"

Maybe try attaching again or just use the hyper link?

[Talon]

That is a nice cage, but be sure to disinfect it and everything it comes with. Do not use bleach or ammonia to do so.

[Giannine]

What would you recommend I disinfect it with? I decided to go with this one even though I like the appearance of the other better, this cage is bigger. I really wanted to get that 36" width. Thank you for the advise

Edited April 11, 2016 by Giannine

[Giannine]

Well, the guy was supposed to deliver the cage 40 minutes ago and didn't bother to tell me until after that time had passed that his son worked today so he didn't have help loading the cage and would tomorrow be ok? I passed. I can get a brand new cage delivered to my home for $9 more than what I was going to pay for that cage. That cage is only 4" wider than the 32" width cages I have been looking at online. I think I will go with my original choice.

[neoow]

Oof. Yeah, in that situation I'd definitely go for a new cage.

Not sure if you have the brand Liberta over your side of the pond but I like their cages- they usually chuck in some free toys as well. I have the enterprise open top cage which looks similar to the first one you posted.

http://www.northernparrots.com/enterprise-large-top-opening-parrot-cage-antique-prod950025/ This is what I have for Alfie... well, I have the original one, not 2nd edition. It is HUGE. I can't have the skirts on because it takes up too much room and I can't walk past without skimming my shins with them on. Plus Alfie is pretty good at throwing his food past the skirts anyway, so it all ends up on the floor regardless! When I first put him in it he looked tiny! Haha. But it's great, and offers a lot of flexibility over how I can arrange his toys and perches as there is so much space. the only downside? I'm too short to reach him when he's standing on the top in the middle (even with it closed) .... and he knows it!! That's one of his go to spots when he's trying to avoid bed time!

[Giannine]

From what I can tell after doing a quick internet search, Liberta seems to only be in the UK. The $209 price tag, color, and design of the original cage I posted have pretty much sold me 100% I hope to order tonight or tomorrow

Edited April 11, 2016 by Giannine

[Greywings]

Looks good, I scrub mine with white vinegar and any stubborn dirty spots get scrubbed with hydrogen peroxide. You can use detergent water just rinse thoroughly and leave in the sun for a few days to complete the process.

[Giannine]

I was thinking vinegar but thought I should check just to be sure:-)

[birdhouse]

The original cage being the ebay cage? What happened to the CL cage ( which I still can't see for some reason). 24" x 36" w/3/4" - 1" bars spacing is usually the recommended min for a CAG. But for most TAGs, 23" x 32" is fine, too.

 

This cage is like your original, but $30 gets a beefer cage.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bird-Cage-Parrot-Macaw-Cockatoo-African-Grey-Q39-3223-White-Vein-/221986825148?hash=item33af7223bc:g:axsAAOSwYIhWjAGD

 

That one also has has a veranda/landing door, which is big points on my personal fav list ")

 

[Giannine]

Here is my post from the top of the page, Birdhouse "Well, the guy was supposed to deliver the cage 40 minutes ago and didn't bother to tell me until after that time had passed that his son worked today so he didn't have help loading the cage and would tomorrow be ok? I passed. I can get a brand new cage delivered to my home for $9 more than what I was going to pay for that cage. That cage is only 4" wider than the 32" width cages I have been looking at online. I think I will go with my original choice."

 

I like that cage but would like it far better if it came in white:-) Does it have a playtop? I checked out the cage for the link you provided and was considering a cage very much like that for the same price but I guess it kind of bothers me that it is less cage, even though many report their Greys don't like the bottom half of their cage, I read a response by a member in this thread who said hers loves the bottom so I guess i'm of the mindset of wanting to get "more" cage for the same price just in case mine does happen to use a portion of the bottom half.

 

Are there any issues with 5/8" bar spacing?

[birdhouse]

Sorry I missed that post. The "top" post on my tablet looked like Neow's post. I was like, what's going on?

 

5/8" bar spacing is a little less comfortable to grip, also lighter weight, as well as less space, of course. So, the appropriate Grey-sized toys & perches, especially if you go w/natural perches, may not fit. Or the bars could get bent more easily w/the heavier stuff because they are usually smaller diameter.

 

The cages we both linked are white. Only the pic on mine is black.

 

I don't understand what you mean by "less cage"?

 

Also "only 4" is actually a lot. If you see a 22x24, a 23x32 & a 24x36 side by each, there's a ton of difference. 22x24x50=26,400 cubic inches total living space. 23x32x46"=33,846 cubic inches of living space. [pretending they're rectangular vs rounded for simplicity]

 

And if by "play top" you meant an open dome top (vs a cage w/a 2nd flat top w/tray & built in perch & they do sell them like that) - yes. I'm a fan, which is why I knew about that particular cage.

 

I'm looking for a new cage for Phenix. But I'm think he's getting a 24"x36" cage w/a little shorter inside height. He isn't really comfy in a humongous cage. But I can't stand looking at him in the 21"x34"x46" anymore. Long story short, it was an experiment.

[Giannine]

You know the cages that are on legs? With storage space underneath? I think the one in the link you provided is one...there is less vertical space...the actual cage is not floor to top. Which is the cage you prefer? The one in the link or the picture you included in your post? I'm assuming the picture. What brand is it?

[Luvparrots]

My grey cages are EZ care ones. The total front opens up for wonderful cleaning.

[birdhouse]

Don't worry about the pics. If you just do the math, you get to the actual available space. Also, the pictures can be deceptive. Although, so can the measurements the vendors supply. That's just part of the fun of buying a new cage, though.

 

The pic in my post is my ekkie's cage. It is my favorite cage ever. I don't know what brand as I got it on Craig's List. It could be a King's Economy brand. But there are a couple of other brands w/the same exact design. HQ & A&E, maybe?

 

It's 24x36 & maybe 6' tall? I forget. But I can stand in it to clean when I take out the grate & pan which are excellently spaced btw (if they can pick thru their litter they can make themselves sick). It's really nice to clean because of the finish as well as the lay out. Meant to say before, the more space between the bars, the easier to clean. And I use vinegar & steam clean occasionally. Once in a while I'll use Poop Off.

 

Also, it's been my fav to lay out w/toys & perches. Tons of room & placement choices. It helps to be able to design a cage that has interest all the way from ceiling to floor. But it takes room to keep everything from getting pooped on.

 

For you, for now, I'm thinking maybe the Ebay cage, though. Kura's cage probably costs $6-700 new. I got it for $180 very gently used. I got lucky. You certainly could too. But it might take some time. I'd been looking for a while.

 

I also knew what I wanted. You might hate the features I love best in a cage. So it might be good to get a very well priced new cage to go w/your new fid & see how it all shakes out. If you hate it or if you love it but wanted a bigger cage, you can buy Cage #2 at your leisure then sell Cage #1 on Craig's list.

 

Also, your TAG could be like mine & not want a really big cage. Suggest you don't even try to make sense out of that one. It's ...a TAG thing. lol

Edited April 12, 2016 by birdhouse

[Giannine]

This thread is providing me with good tips I wouldn't otherwise know except through trial-and-error so, thank you

[Giannine]

Okay, I just ordered the original cage I was planning to (big white one off of ebay) otherwise I would drive myself mad scouring the internet going back-and-forth in my mind between this feature and that. I do like the door at the top of your (Birdhouse's) cage...that is a cool feature and one I will keep in mind if and when I buy another in the future.

Instead of me making another thread (or maybe I should...), can any of you offer me advise on additional equipment as far as cages, stands, etc? I plan to buy a couple play stands—one for my bedroom and a tabletop one since I spend a lot of time on my dining room table/desk on my laptop. Here is my list so far:

 

Tabletop play stand

Full size play stand to go from room-to-room

Travel cage to spend time outside on deck

Pak o Bird backpack/carrier to go in public

Smaller cage for my bedroom(?)

Shower perch

Pedi perch

Various perches for cage

Boing perch

Toys (smaller to start off with)

Handheld vacuum for cleaning around cage

Seventh Generation Multicleaner (I saw a member on here highly recommends this for cleaning the walls)

 

Please let me know what else I should add and what I can or should take away. Thank you in advance:)

[birdhouse]

Okay, I just ordered the original cage I was planning to (big white one off of ebay) otherwise I would drive myself mad scouring the internet going back-and-forth in my mind between this feature and that.

 

 

Then Grey parronting might not be for you. They're very time intensive birds. They tend to need a great deal of all around effort or they often develop severe physical & emotional issues. Heck, even the Greys from the best homes have problems at times. Look at Steve's (Elvenking's) ongoing struggles w/Issac, for example.

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?202542-Someone-Help-With-Isaac

 

Now, before you've sign on to a 50-60 year commitment, might be a good time to rethink which particular species your life style is actually best suited to. Now that you've committed to a smaller 28"x22" cage, you could look at the a small Conure, a Senegal or Quaker parrot. They're usually much more fun w/a bunch less work. And they don't necessarily have such a driven need to be catered to as the Greys.

 

My Quaker is about the happiest, least demanding bird I've ever met. It's very common for her to start laughing for no apparent reason. She talks, clowns around & amuses the ever loving out of herself all day long. Very easy keeper, especially for a parrot.

[Giannine]

I was just getting ready to "correct" your measurements and have been wondering where you were getting the 28" measurement from. I have been thinking this whole time that the inside measured 32" across/wide and went to copy the measurements and my heart dropped after I saw them. Now I am going to have to turn right around and sell the cage after I receive it as it already shipped:-/ The minimum width I had my mind made up to get is 32"