Just got a Greenwing named Rocky

[Darwin'sgirl]

I was given a 21 year old greenwing yesterday and I have a few question. We were given a cage that he hasn't lived in. He was in an outdoor cage. The cage we were given was in pieces and fairly rusty. So, I'm checking in to having it re-powder coated. Until then I've got Rocky on a very large stand that we built. It has multiple branches and is approximately 5" w X 7" h. It's in the living room. He stepped up yesterday, but today he wouldn't. However, he's taking food from our hands and has been very happy chewing up a dried palm frond. Does the stand sound like a good idea? My husband works from home and sits right next to him, so he won't be alone.

 

[MonicaMc]

As a temporary thing, yes. You may be looking at $200-$300, at least, for getting the cage sand-blasted and re-powder coated in paint... and new cages for a green wing typically start at $500 and go up from there.

For now, I wouldn't worry too much about him not stepping up. He'll need time to settle in, and hopefully not get the hankering to explore until you can get a cage setup for him!

 

[Darwin'sgirl]

Thanks for the input. I think having the cage redone will probably be better. The only pet store that has macaw cages on the Big Island is Petco and their cage is $800. Rocky wandering is definitely my big concern. He's also been a plucker. My friend that had him for 15 years went through a bad divorce and she gave him to a coworker who only had him for a year. I'm hoping having stability will help him with the plucking. Every time he starts to go for a feather we distract him with food or something to chew on.

 

[JJones1719]

Hello and congratulations on your new GW.
If I were you, I would invest in a new King cage, the largest you can find.
I would be very careful with power coating, is it bird safe, how will you know that all the rust is sand blasted off.
macaws are chewers and will chew on their cage, flakes of powder coating will come off and perhaps, the Macaw may eat some of it, so be very careful here.
If you deside on getting a new cage, stay away from cheap import cages from asian countries as they are not made with bird safe materials. King cages are the best brand to go with.
I would not keep the GW on a tree stand all day. Macaws too have to feel safe at night and better to have them in a cage rather then on a tree stand.
Sometimes macaws fall at night so if they land on the ground and do not know how to climb back up the tree, they may chew through a wire, wood flooring, so this was the reason I say a cage is the best option. Best of luck Joe

 

[Darwin'sgirl]

Thanks for the advice. FYI, unless you buy a stainless steel cage, all cages that are a color are powder coated. I'm going to get him in his cage as soon as possible. Right now I'm sleeping in the living room right next to Rocky because I know this situation is not ideal. The cage is really big so I'd like to get it in shape. If I order a cage i'll be paying a huge amount for shipping and it's hard to find companies willing to ship to Hawaii. The powder coating I found out is $450 and I know my cage was originally bought on the mainland for $1200 and brought to Hawaii when my friend moved here.

 

[MaraWentz]

You can always go cageless and just build a huge stand- if your bird is trusted with that much freedom of course lol. We made a large stand for Erin and it only cost us one day of labour and $20 in screws, baseboard, and decorative trim. Then again she is very obedient and not much of an explorer or chewer. But had we bought one that size at a store it would've costed us $1300 or so, but you can always look into building your own cage too if not going cageless. It's cheaper, but I'm sure that will take alot more planning and time than a day.

 

[Merlee]

Hello and congratulations on your new GW.
If I were you, I would invest in a new King cage, the largest you can find.
I would be very careful with power coating, is it bird safe, how will you know that all the rust is sand blasted off.
macaws are chewers and will chew on their cage, flakes of powder coating will come off and perhaps, the Macaw may eat some of it, so be very careful here.
If you deside on getting a new cage, stay away from cheap import cages from asian countries as they are not made with bird safe materials. King cages are the best brand to go with.
I would not keep the GW on a tree stand all day. Macaws too have to feel safe at night and better to have them in a cage rather then on a tree stand.
Sometimes macaws fall at night so if they land on the ground and do not know how to climb back up the tree, they may chew through a wire, wood flooring, so this was the reason I say a cage is the best option. Best of luck Joe

I just wanted to say Kings Cages are good products, but how do you know their products are not made in Asia? I just purchased a Kings playgym PP03 and on the outside of the box it said MADE IN CHINA. I was very disappointed.

I did research manufacturers of playgyms online before making this purchase and assumed Kings products were made in the USA. As stated, I was very disappointed because I prefer to work with companies who do not import their products. Unfortunately, I think that all cage manufacturers do this. If I am wrong, then please inform me.

 

[Darwin'sgirl]

The stand Rocky is on is quite a bit bigger than the cage and so far he is not wandering. However, we aren't leaving him alone because we don't know if he'll decide to climb down. Our plan is to always have him on the stand during the day and he will stay in the cage at night or when we're gone. Darwin my amazon is always on a stand during the day. He wants to be with us so he goes wherever we are in the house.

 

[MaraWentz]

We watched eRin for two weeks, before throwing out the cage. Randomly 2-3 times a week we'd leave her on the stand overnight , but the stand was in our room, so we could hear her still. She only leves her stand to fly to me and only one time had I come home and she was not on her stand- I have no idea what her intentions were, but she was missing on her stand and I heard a squeak and there she was perched on the hangers in our closet lol , but that's one incidence since April. Not to bad I'd say. Also turns out one of the reasons she was so mean was that she was cage agressive- she steps up so willingly now that there is no cage.

 

[MonicaMc]

I feel as if cages can hinder our progress to bond well with our birds... but not everyone is capable of having cage-free birds. I used to, but have since moved, and can no longer allow it.


I think Darwin and Rocky will be just fine!

 

[plax]

At least one of my Macaws is out at all times when I'm home. But often two of them, and sometimes even three of them are out at once. Two of them prefer to sleep out of their cages and often do so. One of them strongly prefers to sleep with me, which I used to allow. I only let him nap with me now; I no longer allow him to sleep through the night with me (mainly for safety reasons).

I would personally never leave any of my birds out of their cages when I leave the house. No matter how well-behaved and willing to remain on a stand or a gym they may be, they could become startled and fly to the floor. While unsupervised on the floor there's a significant chance they would encounter certain dangers around the house, as well as various things they would likely destroy. All it takes is once.

 

[MaraWentz]

That's why you must bird proof your house and make sure that they have a room- whether it's shared with your= or all to themselves, so yo can shut the door when you leave or sleep

 

[plax]

That's why you must bird proof your house and make sure that they have a room- whether it's shared with your= or all to themselves, so yo can shut the door when you leave or sleep

Yes, if when you leave your home you always leave your bird(s) confined to a bird-safe room, that's fine. But I move my stands and gyms around to various rooms and my entire house isn't perfectly safe for them. And I should point out that usually when someone acquires a parrot for the first time, they don't yet have a fully 'bird-proofed' room, much less an entire home that's been made bird-safe.

 

[JJones1719]

Merlee, As stated I said Cheap cages from Asia countries, King cages are not cheap. If they are made in China, I too would be very disappointed due to 5 and 6 years ago, they were only made in the U S A.

Macaw (Lg)
Blue & Gold, Scarlet, Hyacinth, Greenwing 2. CAGE DIMENSIONS - What size should my bird cage be?
Experts will tell you (within the confines of safe bar spacing, of course) to select as large a cage as you can afford (remember, your living room can always be rearranged!)
It is important to make sure the bird's tail will not touch either the back or the bottom of the cage while sitting on the perch. Another guideline is to choose a width at least 1_1/2 times your bird's wingspan.
It really is amazing how quickly a small space fills up once you fill it with toys, perches, and other fun items! Keeping your friend occupied with a variety of playthings is essential to prevent feather-plucking from boredom, but fun should certainly not come at the cost of giving up free space inside the cage! (by alphabetical, not size, order):
Cage Width Minimums (Suggested)Small BirdsMedium BirdsLarge Birds18" and Larger
Finches to Parakeets

20" and Larger
Lovebirds, etc. 24" and Larger
Conures, Etc.

32" and Larger
Amazons, Greys, Etc. 36" and Larger
Cockatoos

40" and Larger
Macaws What are your cages made of?
Unless choosing Stainless Steel or Aluminum our cages are made of durable wrought-iron with a heavy powder coat baked on 100% bird safe paint - in a variety of colors for you to choose from.
Are your cages bird-safe and non-toxic?
Our cages are ALL Non-Toxic and safe for your feathered friend. We have our cages test regularly. That said, ingesting paint is never healthy, and if your bird is prone to making their cage a chew-toy, we recommend looking into our Stainless Steel or Aluminum lines which are impossible to ingest.
Why is Stainless Steel so expensive?
Kings Cages uses the finest medical grade 304 German stainless steel. Medical grade stainless steel has high nickel content that prevents rusting. Cheaper stainless steel has more chrome in it. Chrome will RUST. Stainless steel cages are ideal because they last so incredibly long- you might not have to buy another cage again! 304 Medical Grade Stainless steel is a more expensive metal than wrought iron. Stainless steel also has no texture like paint that holds poop and dander, which makes it easier to keep your new 304 Medical Grade stainless steel and beautiful for years to come.
Are the Aluminum Cages painted?
NO. The Aluminum is Anodized
Many metals are structurally weakened by the oxidation process, but not aluminum. Aluminum is actually made stronger and more durable through a process called 'anodizing'. Anodizing involves placing a sheet of aluminum into a chemical acid bath. The sheet of aluminum becomes the positive anode and the acid bath becomes the negative. An electric current passes through the acid, causing the surface of the aluminum to oxidize. Special dyes can also be used to color the anodized aluminum for decorative uses. Aluminum is an excellent material because it is strong and will never rust or corrode. The anodized finish also adds significant durability to the product, making it much more difficult to scratch and is very attractive. This material also makes our cages great for outdoor use.
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Yes, most cages will require assembly. We also do offer the “New Yorker” line for those who chose to open the box screw in the casters and go. If you have any questions about assembly don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-777-7303.
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We manufacture and design all of our cages. Our innovative design team puts ever effort in making a safe, strong cage for your feathered friends. We have over 30 years experience and will offer nothing but the best.

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I hope this helps Thanks Joe

 

[triordan]

The stand Rocky is on is quite a bit bigger than the cage and so far he is not wandering. However, we aren't leaving him alone because we don't know if he'll decide to climb down. Our plan is to always have him on the stand during the day and he will stay in the cage at night or when we're gone. Darwin my amazon is always on a stand during the day. He wants to be with us so he goes wherever we are in the house.

If you are only using the cage for sleeping you can go with a smaller cage~

 

[MaraWentz]

That's why you must bird proof your house and make sure that they have a room- whether it's shared with your= or all to themselves, so yo can shut the door when you leave or sleep

Yes, if when you leave your home you always leave your bird(s) confined to a bird-safe room, that's fine. But I move my stands and gyms around to various rooms and my entire house isn't perfectly safe for them. And I should point out that usually when someone acquires a parrot for the first time, they don't yet have a fully 'bird-proofed' room, much less an entire home that's been made bird-safe.

Thank you for your smart remark, but it doesn't take long to bird proof a room- such a as a bedroom, so if it is something a person would desire to do, such as a beginner, it could probably be done within a day, unless there is something toxic in your walls, etc. I was offering my advice, not looking for some one to argue with me, esp. some one I'm not even giving advice too, thanks though.

 

[plax]

Thank you for your smart remark, but it doesn't take long to bird proof a room- such a as a bedroom, so if it is something a person would desire to do, such as a beginner, it could probably be done within a day, unless there is something toxic in your walls, etc. I was offering my advice, not looking for some one to argue with me, esp. some one I'm not even giving advice too, thanks though.

Your "That's why..." comment seemed to be a direct response to the point I made in my post about the potential for a bird to become startled and end up on the floor. That's the reason I responded to you. I think it's an important point as far as bird safety goes.

I stand by the fact that it's not easy to correctly bird-proof an entire house within a short time period. And I'm not arguing with you. That's simply my opinion. It's intended to address the thread starter's issue of options.

If you feel the further need to be confrontational with me, please refrain and do not reply to this post.

Thanks

 

[MaraWentz]

It was. I sent you a pm. Thanks