Which cage is best?

[P4L]

I found these two cages on Amazon. They both look very similar and are the same size the only difference I notice is the bars but the prices are so different!!! Which would be best for one budgie? I am new to the forum but I don’t have a parrot I want to get one but I don’t know if I ever will be able to 😭 but it is fun to research and imagine for when maybe I one day can get one. https://www.amazon.com/gp
https://www.amazon.com/gp

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I found these two cages on Amazon. They both look very similar and are the same size the only difference I notice is the bars but the prices are so different!!! Which would be best for one budgie? I am new to the forum but I don’t have a parrot I want to get one but I don’t know if I ever will be able to 😭 but it is fun to research and imagine for when maybe I one day can get one. https://www.amazon.com/gp
https://www.amazon.com/gp

The first cage is quite a bit bigger in width. The second cage is too small (18x18). Bigger is always better with cages.

 

[RingneckRave]

The first cage the bars are a little too wide, I've seen budgies squeeze their head through 0.6" bar spacing and get stuck, which could end very badly.

The second cage does appear to have ideal bar spacing, 0.5"

However, both of these cages are below ideal minimum. The absolute bare minimum for a budgie or two is 31 x 20" but always best to go bigger. Luckily though there are other options, so I'll list some.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=twister_B013HNL6GI?_encoding=UTF8&th=1 - Bar spacing is suitable for a budgie, X-large adds extra width if you're happy to pay the extra.

exoticnutrition.com/Borneo-Sugar-Glider-Cage__EN4993.aspx?variantId=6dce118b-48a6-40a6-8197-dcb87c95db8a Borneo cage, these are the best cages in my opinion. Bar spacing is suitable, and the cages are 40" wide. You can even buy add-ons for them to increase the size, even if you change your mind to do so in future the option is always there.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00494U13...3RGMSJFY0M51M&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_d_asin - A double dividable cage, but the divider is removable so you can use as one big long flight cage.

While I'm here, I might as well suggest to aim for two budgies. They thrive better with a bird friend, as they are very social in nature flocking with hundreds of birds. They might want to spend a lot of time together but at least you can observe knowing they are happy together. Budgies rarely do not get along so that's a win to me.

You still have plenty of time to research and prepare for the scenario you settle with owning budgies, so feel free to ask any questions and I'd be happy to answer 😉

 

[P4L]

The first cage the bars are a little too wide, I've seen budgies squeeze their head through 0.6" bar spacing and get stuck, which could end very badly.

The second cage does appear to have ideal bar spacing, 0.5"

However, both of these cages are below ideal minimum. The absolute bare minimum for a budgie or two is 31 x 20" but always best to go bigger. Luckily though there are other options, so I'll list some.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=twister_B013HNL6GI?_encoding=UTF8&th=1 - Bar spacing is suitable for a budgie, X-large adds extra width if you're happy to pay the extra.

exoticnutrition.com/Borneo-Sugar-Glider-Cage__EN4993.aspx?variantId=6dce118b-48a6-40a6-8197-dcb87c95db8a Borneo cage, these are the best cages in my opinion. Bar spacing is suitable, and the cages are 40" wide. You can even buy add-ons for them to increase the size, even if you change your mind to do so in future the option is always there.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00494U13...3RGMSJFY0M51M&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_d_asin - A double dividable cage, but the divider is removable so you can use as one big long flight cage.

While I'm here, I might as well suggest to aim for two budgies. They thrive better with a bird friend, as they are very social in nature flocking with hundreds of birds. They might want to spend a lot of time together but at least you can observe knowing they are happy together. Budgies rarely do not get along so that's a win to me.

You still have plenty of time to research and prepare for the scenario you settle with owning budgies, so feel free to ask any questions and I'd be happy to answer 😉

Thank you for the cage options! The first ones a bit tall and they don’t need height it also looks a bit cheap. The second one looks amazing but I can’t afford that😭. The third one looks nice but I once again can’t afford it but thank you for the recommendations. Will taking them out of the cage for a few hours a day make a difference on the size I need? I was just going to get one budgie because I know getting two they don’t want to spend time with people because they are already happy with their budgie friend and they are harder to train. I had 2 budgies a while back and we didn’t take proper care of them looking back. I have researched a lot about birds and know how you should take care of them now but anyway when we had 2 we weren’t able to train them so that is my reasoning for just getting one. If I were to get 2 could I get one and train it and then get a second one to help with the training? I did find this cage that’s a bit bigger but the bar spacing is .6 though it’s also made in china which I herd can have toxic coating on the cages. Is it ok though?
https://www.chewy.com

 

[RingneckRave]

Because I know getting two they don’t want to spend time with people because they are already happy with their budgie friend and they are harder to train. If I were to get 2 could I get one and train it and then get a second one to help with the training?

For birds that have already bonded I usually suggest picking a bird to tame first with a chance the other will want to tag along to see what their flockmate is doing. But that is also an option, I've seen others do the same by owning one then getting a second one later.
Did the same with Bluey, started with one and got another later. And with my sister's sun conure too, waiting on the breeder to finish raising a chick for Conny to have a friend. Although we waited for different reasons, same end result, if that makes sense!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

The first cage is quite a bit bigger in width. The second cage is too small (18x18). Bigger is always better with cages.

I misread the dimensions on the first cage. It's too small. However, I use 5/8" bar spacing for my seven budgies all the time with no problem. Obviously it would be too wide for baby budgies under six weeks old.

 

[RingneckRave]

Will taking them out of the cage for a few hours a day make a difference on the size I need? I did find this cage that’s a bit bigger but the bar spacing is .6 though it’s also made in china which I herd can have toxic coating on the cages. Is it ok though?
https://www.chewy.com

Did you edit your message? I'm not sure I've noticed this here before

The first cage I linked I wouldn't be too concerned about the height, as the width is being met, a lot of flight cages are gonna be like that. The issue is mainly with cages tall but too narrow or cages that are just abnormally tall in general. But you're right about it looking cheap so you are free to make your own decision

Unfortunately any cage below the minimum I suggested (31x20") is too small for a budgie. Birds are expensive, but a decent cage is a one-time purchase that will last for many years.

The material should be safe, it is powder coated instead of galvanised, and Yaheetech is a well known brand when it comes to bird cages.

I'm not fond of using smaller cages regardless of how often a bird is out, a cage should still be a comfy place to return to, and people tend to forget the time they'll spend in the cage. Say you have work, they're sleeping, you can't be there to supervise, ect. But it's fine temporarily though. Even if it means saving up for a decent cage, if the end result is a cage to be proud of it's a goal worth aiming for.

I use 5/8" bar spacing for my seven budgies all the time with no problem.

Yes, some budgies can do fine in it if their head sizes are big enough, e.g English budgies since they're larger. But the general better-safe-than-sorry max is 1/2", I'll just include some pictures to show an example what I mean by this. Both images are of 5/8" bar spacing

 

[RingneckRave]

Can't believe I didn't mention this before! Look around on facebook marketplace, craigslist ect for second hand bird cages, you might find something good for cheap! Make sure to check up on it regularly as you never know when someone will advertise one next. Though you'd have to clean/disinfect it, and make sure it isn't in bad condition (rusty) but you can save a lot of money just by doing that.

 

[saxguy64]

I did find this cage that’s a bit bigger but the bar spacing is .6 though it’s also made in china which I herd can have toxic coating on the cages.

The sad reality is that there are no more cages commercially produced in the US. They're ALL made in a very small number of factories in China (like three) to specs of the various brands.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Did you edit your message? I'm not sure I've noticed this here before

The first cage I linked I wouldn't be too concerned about the height, as the width is being met, a lot of flight cages are gonna be like that. The issue is mainly with cages tall but too narrow or cages that are just abnormally tall in general. But you're right about it looking cheap so you are free to make your own decision

Unfortunately any cage below the minimum I suggested (31x20") is too small for a budgie. Birds are expensive, but a decent cage is a one-time purchase that will last for many years.

The material should be safe, it is powder coated instead of galvanised, and Yaheetech is a well known brand when it comes to bird cages.

I'm not fond of using smaller cages regardless of how often a bird is out, a cage should still be a comfy place to return to, and people tend to forget the time they'll spend in the cage. Say you have work, they're sleeping, you can't be there to supervise, ect. But it's fine temporarily though. Even if it means saving up for a decent cage, if the end result is a cage to be proud of it's a goal worth aiming for.


Yes, some budgies can do fine in it if their head sizes are big enough, e.g English budgies since they're larger. But the general better-safe-than-sorry max is 1/2", I'll just include some pictures to show an example what I mean by this. Both images are of 5/8" bar spacing

YIKES! I can't imagine my budgies trying to stick their heads between the cage bars! So, I just measured the bar spacing on my cages and it's 1/2 inch. NOT 5/8", so I take back what I said- I wouldn't put a small American or Aussie budgie in a cage with 5/8" unless he had a larger head. My larger half English Budgie Rocky has a large head and my full English is huge so they would be fine.
As for China made cages- most cage are made in China. All my cages are made in China. We simply can't make stuff in America for the prices Americans are willing to pay. China goods are not automatically suspect. And just because something is made in USA doesn't make it automatically better- corporate greed and taking shortcuts is an International Sport!

 

[P4L]

Ok thank you for the advice! I have looked on eBay and Craigslist and nothing good at the moment but I’ve got time I can’t get the bird for awhile anyway. The only concern for me is space I’m not sure I will be able to fit a super big cage so the one I posted above I think would be the one I would get. I like the way it looks, the bowls are very accessible, it’s easy to clean and I like the play top. I am thinking about getting an English budgie if I can find one because I do like there larger size. I did want to get a conure but they are a bit to noisy and I would like to maybe start with something a bit smaller. I went to the Bronx zoo yesterday and went into the budgie landing and it was amazing but very hot 🥵 lol so budgies are enough for me for now. They have such big personalities!! I am going to let the budgie out for as long as I possibly can but I do have school and sports. Would it be possible for me to make my bedroom a safe space and let him free roam for the day? I would do a few tests to see if there is anything he would get into while I am away. I know that I have to get bird safe plants, nothing small he can eat and nothing soft. Would my bed and pillows be a problem though?

 

[P4L]

YIKES! I can't imagine my budgies trying to stick their heads between the cage bars! So, I just measured the bar spacing on my cages and it's 1/2 inch. NOT 5/8", so I take back what I said- I wouldn't put a small American or Aussie budgie in a cage with 5/8" unless he had a larger head. My larger half English Budgie Rocky has a large head and my full English is huge so they would be fine.
As for China made cages- most cage are made in China. All my cages are made in China. We simply can't make stuff in America for the prices Americans are willing to pay. China goods are not automatically suspect. And just because something is made in USA doesn't make it automatically better- corporate greed and taking shortcuts is an International Sport!

Thank you! I got that information from bird tricks website I think, which I love usually but I just wanted to make sure that the cages I am thinking about are safe for little birdies!