External cups for parrot cages

MarkJ77433

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Mar 17, 2020
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Congo African Grey (deceased - 40 years)
Yellow Naped Amazon (deceased 33 years)
Panama Amazon (born 4/21/2019)
I did some searching and never found the topic, and I think I know what the answer will be (disappointment to follow), but wanted to at least ask:

Are there any cages, outside of stainless steel, made for medium to large parrots, that have external food/water cups? My current cage has these and I find them useful (mainly to keep poop out of food/water), but have only found them as an option for a few BirdCages4Less stainless models.

While I love the stainless models that offer these external cups for options, the cost is more than double the powder coated option, and I live 50+ miles inland from salt water. So its an expensive and unnecessary option.

I am using a bottle system for water, so no soiled water with this soluiton.
But I need to update my cage to something larger and don't see any OEM or after market option for powder coated models.

Am I missing something, or are there reasons to keep cups inside the cage instead of cups that sit externally, but accessible from with the inside of the cage?
 

wrench13

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Good question which I cant answer. However, using a waterbottle aside from operational issues, like a jammed or stuck ball valve, requires frequent cleaning of not just to bottle but the delivery tube and ball check valve. Both are areas where bacteria can grow and wont be removed with just rinsing them out. Good points to bring up, maybe other members have an answer to your original question.

Good Luck and be SAFE!
 

Ira7

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I would try reconfiguring your perches so gravity does its job and the crap doesn’t fall in the bowls.

Mine are always clean of that stuff, and boy, can this bird crap.
 

bill_e

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Maybe I don't understand what you mean by external food/water cups. There are many, many cups w/brackets that can be mounted either inside or outside the cage.
 
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MarkJ77433

New member
Mar 17, 2020
14
4
Cypress, TX (Houston)
Parrots
Congo African Grey (deceased - 40 years)
Yellow Naped Amazon (deceased 33 years)
Panama Amazon (born 4/21/2019)
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Maybe I don't understand what you mean by external food/water cups. There are many, many cups w/brackets that can be mounted either inside or outside the cage.
The cup extends outside of the cage, but is accessible from inside the cage. The cup has a caging enclosure, or plastic fitting to secure the bird inside, but allows the bird to stick its head inside the externally mounted feeder.

The biggest drawback I have known with my own external feeder cups is if the bird finds a way to fidget the cup until it falls out. Then you have a big opening. I had one bird that discovered this. C Clamps resolved.

I hope this helps to clarify.....
 

bill_e

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it does, sorry cant help you. But if poop is the issue, I agree with what's been said above that with the larger cage you should be able to place your perches so that poop isnt an issue. Personally in 43 years, I've never had poop in a cage cup. I do get it every once in a while outside the cage in one of her cups near a boing that she likes to be on.
 

fiddlejen

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This is okay for my sun conure & budgies. Not sure? how it would work for larger bird:

https://www.amazon.com/JW-Pet-Company-Waterer-Accessory/dp/B0002DJW1I/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=water+tower+for+birds&qid=1585270152&sr=8-5

I also use the stainless dishes inside, that came with the cages. The towers are only for backup. (Additionally I place a tiny plastic water dish right next to Sunny's main food dish, which she uses for dunking & washing, & that way her other water dishes stay clean.)

My Sunny has never poo'd in her own water. I really think the birds do avoid messing in their own food & water, if they can.

The budgies will mess (hers And theirs) - but only from atop the cages. I recently started laying pieces of cardboard on top of the cages, lined over all the dishes, which is all that's needed to protect the water from their tiny-but-plentiful droppings. Perhaps some type of barrier is also all yours needs?
 
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MarkJ77433

New member
Mar 17, 2020
14
4
Cypress, TX (Houston)
Parrots
Congo African Grey (deceased - 40 years)
Yellow Naped Amazon (deceased 33 years)
Panama Amazon (born 4/21/2019)
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Thanks all for the responses. They've all been helpful.

Maybe poop in the food won't be a problem, but birds climb and poop everywhere; not just where perches are located. But another point to externally mounted food cups is space. It does provide a little more real estate for the bird to move around.

Now, things have changed since I last bought a cage some 30+ years ago, and cage requirements have gotten much bigger. So for that reason, it could possibly cancel out the space and foul food issues. But since I haven't shopped for cages in decades, it came to mind.
 

Jen5200

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I think I know the cages that you are talking about, they have a bowl holder that sticks out on the outside of the cage - I don’t know what brand they are, but I’ll ask at the rescue that I work at (we have a few of those cages).

I have one bird in my flock who is terrible for pooping in her food and water bowls (no matter where they are in the cage). She hangs off the side of cage and can hit the bowls with shocking regularity. I use these to put a “roof” over each of her bowls https://kingscages.com/product/cup-covers-stainless-steelfits-all-cages6-1-2-wide-x-3-5-8-high/. :)
 
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MarkJ77433

New member
Mar 17, 2020
14
4
Cypress, TX (Houston)
Parrots
Congo African Grey (deceased - 40 years)
Yellow Naped Amazon (deceased 33 years)
Panama Amazon (born 4/21/2019)
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The cages I have now, that I am in the process of replacing, were made by Animal Environments well over 30 years ago. This video shows the external feeders (only this one is in stainless steel - mine is powder coated):

[ame="https://youtu.be/5FfUtZDjbUU"]Quality Stainless Steel Bird Cages - YouTube[/ame]

I thought the cages were excellent for the time I used them, but now they are just out of date and too small by standards established today. When these came out, I thought their design was innovative. One of the earliest to offer aprons around the cage to keeps seeds from being scattered. Full size open door and highly visible bar width. No tool set up.

These cages were manufactured in California, not China. I visited the facility in the early 80s. They have since moved, and I'm not even sure they still manufacture/sell. But I do know the owner is still responding to requests for replacement parts.

Anyway, the video might explain in better detail the external feeders. I found these available on several of the stainless steel Bird Cages 4 Less site. Nice and pricey :)
 

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