what is the best cage?

[brianlinkles]

I am looking for a good cage for a lilac crown amazon. Do you have suggestions as to what you think is a good cage? Size, features to look for etc. I am also curious as to the colors that you think hide the mess the best.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Hide the mess? Of a parrot?

Perhaps we could suggest blindfold colors!

Sorry, I don't have much of anything productive to add here - except to say shop around. It's amazing how much variety there is in the prices of cages of essentially identical size and quality.

 

[mtdoramike]

THE BIGGEST CAGE YOU CAN AFFORD TO BUY is the best cage. As far as hiding the mess, the best way to do this is CLEAN IT UP then it shouldn't be noticeable. I clean my birds cages DAILY, just before bed time.

 

[brianlinkles]

Perhaps I am writing this wrong. Yes I clean cages daily. I read on another forum that there was a thread on cages. One person wrote that white showed everything, another wrote that black showed everything. This was a forum on Linnies and I thought that maybe some of you with experience with the bigger birds would have some more input. I love the look of a black cage but I feel like it looks dark inside for the bird. I would just like a cage that appeared cleaner looking. Perhaps I will head out to the bird farm and look at the pooped in cages!!LOL

 

[ScottinVentura]

Both my cages are a mottled gray, and that works for both me and the birds. Size - get the biggest you can afford. And features depends on you and your bird. Boo's first cage (now the dove's cage) was a dome-top with just the front door. I never closed it, he was allowed in and out as he pleased. His favorite place to perch was on the door, outside the cage, and his poop missed the cage completely and landed on the floor. That was a problem. So I got a much bigger cage that's half dome-top and half play top. The dome top opens up and half of it is permanently wedged open so he can climb clear to the top (about 7 feet off the floor) and perch there. There's a side door that opens from the cage to the play top, and that door is permanently latched open, so he can climb there if he wants. The play top has a perch and a couple of spots for food bowls. Then there's the cage. The main door, on the front, stays closed, but he can still get out any time he wants through the top or the side. He likes the new cage better. Sometimes he perches clear on top, sometimes on the wooden perches inside, sometimes on the playtop. He doesn't feel confined, he's got plenty of toys, and I put his food bowl on the playtop and his water down in the cage, so he has to climb around and be active to meet his needs. I shopped around quite a bit and found one for about $500 - I'd seen the same cage priced as high as $800.

Some people prefer to keep their parrots locked in, unless they're right there to watch. It's not an approach that would work with Boo, but it works for them. If you're one of those people, this cage would probably be overkill.

 

[ScottinVentura]

Oh - avoid cages with zinc in the paint or on the metal. Your bird can be poisoned from the cage.

 

[mtdoramike]

I prefer green colored cages, it seems to not show dirt quite as much as other colored cages.

 

[Atwee921]

Biggest cage you can afford. Seed guards are good to lower the mess. Also you should look for feeder doors so you dont have to reach through your parrots cage to change its food and water. I also like cages with play tops so it can be used as a playgym. Wheels are nice for moving the birds cage to change its surroundings.

edit: Give me your price range and I'll look for a nice cage for your bird.

 

[Spiritbird]

I have a white cage and love it because you can see where it is soiled.