cage for CAG or Zon

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
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Western, Michigan
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DYH Amazon
Huge waste of space and a pain to clean, cost to useful space = fair

Traditional rectangle with full hight door is best all around cage. The full height door greatly easies cleaning and changing out food, water and accessories. The easier it is for you to move in and out of, the more you will properly care for the cage.

We buy from Birdcages4less.com
See cages for large Parrots.

Avoid cages with bar spaces larger than 3/4" and smaller than 1/2".

If you live in an apartment, assure that the narrow end can fit your primary entrance.

Minimum size, 26 deep x 34 wide x 54 tall. In short the bigger the better. But remember the need to get it out the primary entrance. Why: Think Fire, etc...
IMHO, avoid dome tops, especially ones that open. Target play tops as they add additional perching areas.
 

Shine

Member
Nov 3, 2016
261
24
Northern Nevada
Parrots
Fidget - BFA, Addy - Red Lored
I just bought one of those huge corner cages about a year ago for my Amazon. I agree with sailboat, tons of wasted space. He spends all of his time in the top third of it. He only goes lower then that to eat.

To move it from one room to another I had to take it apart and it still was difficult. It's difficult to clean. Two bottom trays that come out from two different sides. It makes it so you can't really have anything close to it or you can't get the tray out.

I've been trying to sell it for the past month and no interest. (And I'm asking $250 less then what I paid for it and it's less then a year old and in perfect condition.)

I bought another cage in anticipation of selling it so now I'm cage rich! (And live in an apt)

It's a beautiful cage and I was so excited to get it for him, but it was a mistake. And apparently one I'm going to have to live with.

I started a thread in the cage section here that shows some pics of it.

Good luck with whatever you end up getting.

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bill_e

Supporting Member
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Dec 24, 2015
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Nike a Hawk Head Parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus)
Not trying to be contrary but In 42 years, my birds have lived in the top 1/3rd of their cages....maybe even top 1/4.

I thought Sailboat was referring to the chopped off corner not the height as a waste of space.

Personally if you or significant other want a cage that fits neatly into the corner and your intent is to have the bird out with you a lot, I see nothing wrong with that cage for the birds you're considering....and the door on the one in the link seems big enough to me.

I would suggest that you either paint the walls near the cage with a clear water based poly or hang thin plexiglass panels because those walls are going to have food stuck all over them with a corner cage .
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
You still need a very large cage--- it is just that depth and width should be your focus--- yes, you want a cage that is far off the ground and has a bit of height for climbing, but horizontal space and depth matter most, so a "large cage" may not be as large as it looks if the majority of the space is vertical. A corner cage can be fine as long as it is very big, but lots of people dislike the corner part because it makes setting things up difficult and can go unused (hence the waste-of-space statement). Do not look at smaller cages...but if you ask a lot of people, a rectangular cage is preferable.

I would definitely get a cage that has a seed-skirt and a removable grate and removable tray, plus a solidly latching door with reinforcement latches.

Also make sure that the food doors are in logical places and that you have at least 4-5....a large door should also be high on your list as it makes access/cleaning/toy attachment easier.

***NO ZINC, LEAD OR GALVANIZED METALS*****Stainless is the safest , but if you get a painted or powder-coated cage, make sure it is made in the USA or be prepared to call the company and find out what metals are in the powder coat and iron underneath it (as powder coating can and does wear off with a bird this size).
 
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noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?


What are the dimensions and what is that paint made of--make sure to research the metal beneath it too (especially if made in China). I checked the link but it isn't showing me anything but the image. I also second the statement about making sure that the main cage (without seed-skirt) can fit through doorways...The alternative is nightmare that will likely strip your screws and make you buy a cage per-room lol.
Now, for a bird like a macaw, a HUGGGGGE cage will probably never fit through doors, and I wouldn't skimp on that, but you are talking about a smaller bird, so....get a cage as large as you can that can go through door-ways with the seed skirt off--- or prepare to invest in more than one cage.
 
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Kiwibird

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Jul 12, 2012
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1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
We have owned this cage for around 5 years for our amazon and it’s great! I would imagine it being suitable for an AG too.

https://birdcages4less.com/page/B/PROD/PA5710

Very minimal chipping to the finish (which was a major issue with a prior A&E cage we had after just a few years) and nice and roomy for our bird. We don’t use the seed guard or grate as a matter of personal preference. I also like the smooth finish (the white color is smooth, at least) over the more textured powder coat finish for ease of cleaning.
 
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jclark65

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Dec 23, 2019
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Its an A&E cage and all specs are in the link. I was following what Sailboat said about size. Trying to find a good cage with plenty of room for toys and easy to clean. Now if only I could find a bird...lol

Bottom Tray

Pull-out - Bottom Tray
35'' x 27''
Other Dimensions

Overall
66'' H x 36'' W x 28'' D
Interior Cage Height- Top to Bottom - Interior
38''
Cage
66'' x 36'' x 28''
Cage Bar Thickness
5mm
Overall Product Weight
144 lb.
Cage Bar Spacing
1''
 
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SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
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Western, Michigan
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DYH Amazon
Regarding a full height cage door! Until you use one, you will never go back to a shorter door. FYI: The door also makes it a bit easier for your Parrot and you to move in and out of the cage.

One of the wonderful things about this Forum is the cross-section of information available.

Regarding the cage you are looking at: Check the bar spacing: 1" is just a bit wide for my likely as a young DYH Amazon's eyes are about 1.125" (1-1/8") spacing. FYI: Cage shipping of a week to 2 weeks is a concern as it is shipping from a warehouse someplace. Understand that there is two shipping boxes with these cages and if you get two of one kind, you are stuck for another shipping cycle until you can assemble it.

Regarding cages build in China! The remaining three cage builders in the World are all located in China. The only way to get a cage that is built in North America or any where in this World other than China is a Custom Cage Builder!

I'm not pushing a specific supplier, only relying on three cages of experience over 20 years. birdcages4less.com is the retail arm of one of those three China builders. At this point, you're likely saying so what! This group builds, ships, warehouse and sell their own product. Their warehouse staff only ship birdcage4less products, everyday and know what boxes go with what cages. Also, they build for other Cage Sellers. I like dealing with the same organization that builds and sells their own product and have for over 30 years. But that is just me.
 

Kiwibird

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2012
9,539
111
Parrots
1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
I wouldn’t ever buy another A&E cage. They are a bit cheaper than other cages but they don’t last. The one we had chipped if you looked at it wrong and the bottom rusted. Not to mention a poorly designed base that allowed water to get trapped in the legs whenever it was hosed down, allowing some kind of slime to grow in the legs unbeknownst to us.

A good powder coat large parrot cage should last 8-10 years. Our old A&E cage lasted about 4. And our bird is not hard on his cage. He climbs around but he doesn’t sit there chewing the bars trying to dismantle it or anything. We have had none of the issues with the slightly more expensive cage we got 5 years ago. A cage is a long term investment and worth paying a little more for (unless you want to replace it every few years).
 
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Shine

Member
Nov 3, 2016
261
24
Northern Nevada
Parrots
Fidget - BFA, Addy - Red Lored
The replacement cage I purchased is an Avian Adventures Mediana. It's got a nice removable playtop and it's plenty big inside. I also got it from Wayfair. It came in 3 large boxes. 1 of the boxes had damage and I found that one of the base legs had been broken off and was totally missing. I called Wayfair and they had a replacement part in my hands in less then a week. The customer service was excellent!

I'm sure it's probably one of the ones made in China, but this is the second one I've had and I've been happy with them. No chipping of the powder coating at all.



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Shine

Member
Nov 3, 2016
261
24
Northern Nevada
Parrots
Fidget - BFA, Addy - Red Lored
Also, I was recently given a pair of stackable "CalCage" cages. Since they were free I took them to use as sleep cages. I later realized they had a lot of rust on them. I ended up taking them and a nice stand and had them repowdercoated. It cost me about $400 but it's all beautiful and no chipping so far.

For a good cage that I like, I think I would do that again when needed.

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SailBoat

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Jul 10, 2015
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Western, Michigan
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DYH Amazon
I wouldn’t ever buy another A&E cage. They are a bit cheaper than other cages but they don’t last. The one we had chipped if you looked at it wrong and the bottom rusted. Not to mention a poorly designed base that allowed water to get trapped in the legs whenever it was hosed down, allowing some kind of slime to grow in the legs unbeknownst to us.

A good powder coat large parrot cage should last 8-10 years. Our old A&E cage lasted about 4. And our bird is not hard on his cage. He climbs around but he doesn’t sit there chewing the bars trying to dismantle it or anything. We have had none of the issues with the slightly more expensive cage we got 5 years ago. A cage is a long term investment and worth paying a little more for (unless you want to replace it every few years).

I have heard about that problem with water trapped in the leg. A work around is to use a 1/8" drill bit and drill a hole in the leg. The trick is to not drill so close to the bottom of the leg as to drill into the base of the wheel 'leg plug,' but near its top. If memory still works, that would be about 3/4" above where the plastic and metal meet at the bottom. This does two things: Allows excess water to drain-out and any droplets left to dry-up. NOTE: brush a droplet of black paint in the hole to control rust.
 
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jclark65

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Dec 23, 2019
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I've looked at cages4Less but I can't seem to locate a cage with the size and playtop needed w less than 1" spacing... I'm on a waiting list for a bird and its likely at least 6 months away. I wanted to rescue one but none around, vets and SPCA don't know of any avian rescues within 300 miles. I'm in NB Canada and the nearest I could find is in southern Maine but they want to visit my house and I have to take classes to adopt... Doubt they'll make the drive...lol

I am very appreciative of the help with a decent cage. Any links would be much appreciated..
Thanks again!!
J
 
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jclark65

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Good morning,
I wanted to thank you for the help on my search for a cage. I've made a choice on a bird as there are no rehomes or rescues in the area we are getting a baby yellow crowned Amazon in May. I've been pouring over Sailboat's posts on them. I've gone to birdcages4less and am looking at a couple of their playtop cages. Lani Kai lodge and the Kauai Kastle. The Kastle is bigger and would be fine in the room we have but I won't be able to get it out of the room without disassembling it. Do you usually clean in place. When we are home we will be in our living room and will have a big play set with toys here so we can all be together. Thanks again for all of your input.
Jeff
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,646
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Western, Michigan
Parrots
DYH Amazon
We currently have two Lani Kai lodges with play tops and yes we commonly clean in place. But once warmer, we move it outside for a detailed cleaning and drying in bright sunshine.

FYI: birdcages4less.com commonly have 'toy sets' based on parrot size for their cages. We have always found their toy sets a great value for a starter set for the cage. Also, buy a couple of extra sets of dishes. This way you can have one set in the cage another being cleaned and a third prepped for change-out.

Yellow crowned Amazon are sweethearts!

Remember not to bring your baby home until fully weened!

Welcome to the Wonder World of Amazons!
 

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