Conure Cage Size

[BirdField]

Alright, I've seen many different opinions on how large a conure cage has to be at minimum, some saying wingspan at least, others listing exact measurements. I'm not wanting to know minimum, I want to know a good size for a dusky conure or a GCC. Feel free to tell me your experiences with good cage sizes for conures and I would really appreciate it if anyone can recommend me a good brand that's reliable and safe. I just need overall tips about owning a conure and their cage size (how much space, where to place perches, etc.).

I know bigger is always better but I want to know if I will be able to purchase a good sized cage that the bird will be comfortable. I also would like to know what type of metals are absolutely safe for birds as well as where to put the cage relative to window and such.

Thanks so much!

 

[riddick07]

Alright, I've seen many different opinions on how large a conure cage has to be at minimum, some saying wingspan at least, others listing exact measurements. I'm not wanting to know minimum, I want to know a good size for a dusky conure or a GCC. Feel free to tell me your experiences with good cage sizes for conures and I would really appreciate it if anyone can recommend me a good brand that's reliable and safe. I just need overall tips about owning a conure and their cage size (how much space, where to place perches, etc.).

I know bigger is always better but I want to know if I will be able to purchase a good sized cage that the bird will be comfortable. I also would like to know what type of metals are absolutely safe for birds as well as where to put the cage relative to window and such.

Thanks so much!

You can go as large as you want as long as bar spacing stays small enough. Most people do 1/2in or smaller for conures. I keep my conures in about 36x24 cages. Height is often wasted by birds since they tend to hang out at the top half most of the time but some are crazy active. I tend to just use stainless steel when it comes to metal. Windows depend on drafts and heat. If you get a nice draft you might have to move the cage in the winter and if the sun heats up an area too much that would be a problem too. I keep my cages by a window and everyone does fine. I just drop a blanket down the back of the cages in winter to keep the chill off. A lot of these questions are personal choice and circumstance decisions. Especially the perch question. Just get a bunch of different sizes and wing it when you put it together. You might change it around a few times until you like it or find that somehow a bird poops on a perch in a certain position and you have to rearrange.

Old setups you can use for some ideas.

 

[Flboy]

I agree! In my case, JoJo uses every inch of his cage, playing with toys on the bottom!

 

[ninamom]

Is there a place where you can get a single 24x36 cage? thanks!

 

[MonicaMc]

aedistributors on Ebay often have their A&E Flight Cage (32x21) for sale for under $120. This or other brands do often sell for $150-$200ish and it's a great size for small to medium sized conures.

My first one is an HQ which I've had for around 15 years now. I guess it's kind of showing it's age now as the bars become discolored but you can only notice if you take a close look. Otherwise, still looks great!

 

[tomcyrajesh]

It would be good if you can provide a cage of minimum 24 x 24 x 24 inches size and wire spacing of 3/4 inch.

Majority cages available in market are wrought iron with non-toxic powder coated material. It is safe for birds. If you have more budget, then go for stainless steel cages.

 

[PCash]

I have two GCCs and I've found that cages run out of space for toys and perches/etc pretty quickly. So, yeah, bigger is better. I dream of having an indoor aviary, but just don't have a place to put it at the moment.

I have a flight cage from Amazon. Actually bought a double wide flight cage. If you have the space, these are great and give lots of room for toys without becoming crowded. Currently I only have one of the flight cages set up (not both for the double wide). The wheeled stand is awesome too for easy cleaning. I also have an wrought iron A and E Victorian top cage on a wheeled stand.

In my cages, I've been able to make use of some of the wasted bottom space by putting the food and water dish down lower. I purchased separate stainless steel dishes for my one cage (the flight cage) so that I could place the bowls where I wanted them. The cage had openings close to the top for the provided plastic dishes and that's just too high for my birds to use all of their cage, plus I wanted stainless steel. I do place a favorite perch up higher though so that my birds can go up and chill out in a comfortable spot.

Place perches on varying levels throughout the cage. Don't place one perch directly above another, cause the bird will poop all over the bottom one. Also, perches don't need to be perfectly horizontal. Trees aren't. However, I have their top/resting perch horizontal, so they're comfortable sleeping on it.

Oh, another thing in cage design. Once you set their cage up, try to hang a few toys to provide a spot where the bird can kinda hide/feel more secure behind. When my female gets nervous or wants to be left alone, she'll retreat back there and watch us out through the toys. When she's more comfortable and/or wants to interact she'll come back out. This really helped her feel more in control and handle things better. I've done the same thing for my more confident male and when he wants to just chill by himself he goes up and behind the toys and I know to leave him alone. In other words, a bird should have "his place."

Alrighty, hope this helps. Cage size, my flight cage is 30 in. by 18 in. by 34 in. (Optimally this cage should be wider. Most quality flight cages are. I have another cage in the works, but don't have it ready just yet. My girl spends a lot of time out on a play gym too.)

My A and E cage is 26 in. by 20 in. by 35 in. It's kind of an odd size due to its design, but it works well for my boy. I have him out on a play gym (bigger than his cage) much of the day too.

Lastly, don't expect to set your cage up in one go and leave it like that. Once the bird is in the cage and you observe things, you'll probably end up changing perch and toy placement. My boy likes things one way, my girl another. By observing them and tweaking things, I find I've been able keep them from getting bored and provide adequate perches/toys without making it too easy for them. My birds gotta work a little. Gotta keep those birdy brains busy.