Cage replacing!

[lovethatgrey]

I was wondering how how many years you guys think you'll be able to use your existing cages before replacing them.{Feel-good-00020114}

[danmcq]

Well, I personally only expect to get 4 to 5 years at best from a powder coated Cage. Especially since in the warmer months I roll the cages outside with the birds in them and spray them down atleast 2x a week. I do dry them thoroughly after the spraying and let them bake in the sun along with the birds for an hour or so afterwards. But, rust is inevitable anytime water or water based liquids get to bare metal.

 

Someone not spraying their Cage down may get up to 10 or more years out of one depending on how aggressive their bird is at chewing the powder coating off the cage or if it starts flaking off by it's own accord.

[Luvparrots]

Until the cows come home, I clean my fids' cages everyday. I am a stay-at-home person! So expect they will last a long, long time!

[lovethatgrey]

Emma has a powder coated cage. I change the papers daily and give the cages a thorough washing in the bathtub once a week to scrub away dried up poopie and stuck on food. Emma also likes to splash around in her water dish. Exposure to water, oxygen, cleaning products and humidity probably contributes to rust and corrosion along with ordinary wear and tear. Sometimes when I am cleaning I see little brown spots of rust and I must admit it irritates me since I've only had the cage since August 2009 and Emma isn't very rough with her cage. I'm thinking that if I'm changing my cages let's say every 7 years.... then that can be alot of cages in the lifespan of my parrot's life. That's alot of clutter and money spent, especially if the life expectancy of a parrot is 50+ years. I figure that the longer I wait to purchase the stainless steel cages, the more it will cost me and the longer I will yearn for one of these cages for my parrots. I know as time passes.. my annual income will increase too but should I wait? How many of you members have stainless steel cages? Nobody seems to talk much about stainless steel cages on this forum.:blush:

 

Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/05/24 06:08<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/05/24 06:10

[danmcq]

Unfortunately due to the cost of SS Cages, most do not purchase them.

 

If you can afford a stainless cage, then by all means purchase it. But, make sure you do not downsize the cage to maintain affordability.

 

I would rather purchase a humongous cage for 500 and replace it every 5 to 7 years, than purchase a smaller SS cage that would probably last for a lifetime with proper maintenance such as loose bars being re-welded when need.

 

Now, it is possible to search for a used SS cage, but they are rather rare to find.

 

Should you decide to purchase a stainless steel bird cage, make sure it is 100% 304 grade solid stainless steel. If the label does not indicate this, it is possible that the cage is not completely made of this material. It is quite beneficial to check before making the purchase.

 

You can find more reasonable SS Cages by doing some diligent searching on the net, for example:

 

http://www.birdcagemart.com/Stainless_Steel_Cages-Stainless_Steel_40_x30_Dome_Top_Cage_1.html

 

http://birdcages4less.com/page/B/CTGY/Stainless_Steel_Bird_Cages

[lovethatgrey]

Thanks for your input Dan. Much appreciated.I agree that it makes no sense to downsize. I guess I was wondering why there wasn't more of a discussion or commentary/experiences on this forum. By the way, here is another cage{Feel-good-00020114}site that was recommended to me

 

http://www.birdcageoutlet.com/

[Talon]

There is a thread here called show me your cage. Just do a search and you might find more discussion there.

[tthopp05]

I think Im gonna take the hit now and go for the SS cage.The cage I got in the deal with my baby is a nice Victorian dome,powder coated and looks real nice but its a little small IMHO.24x22x64.Ill use that for another room or outside.I would like to get a bigger cage that will be hers for life so I dont have to stress her down the road with eviction notices,LOL.