Oh No...

[JenJen]

So I went ahead and ordered the cage below. The original specifications said the bar spacing would be 5/8"...

I got the cage today after waiting nearly ten days+ in shipping and what all... my quaker is due to come home this weekend (yay, so excited!). I spent about three hours putting it together (a combination of really, really bad directions and working solo) and only after it was completed did I take a tape measurer to it.

The bar spacing is roughly 3/4" between the bars, and there are spaces at the top and bottom that are about 1".

I am in full panic mode that this cage is going to kill my quaker.

Can people please chime in and tell me if I'm being overly paranoid or justified in my worries?

Also, this is supposedly a powder coated, wrought iron cage. Would the powder coating account for the slightly black dust that coated my hands? Is this going to be harmful to my quaker?

JJ (who promises to try and curb the paranoia!)

 

[AUHeel]

I don't own a Quaker, but generally you want a bar spacing that is smaller than the diameter of his skull. If 3/4 is, you will probably be ok. I think 3/4 sounds a little big though for the Quakers I have seen.


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[ShellyBorg]

I have never seen powder coating come off like that?
I would call the company. Get your self a small teil cage cheap for now. Sometimes a smaller cage to begin with is better anyways and having a small second cage on hand for trips or emergencies comes in handy.

 

[AUHeel]

My guess is it s dirty from the manufacturing process. Hose it off, let it dry, then wipe it down with a clean white rag and see if anything comes off.


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[JenJen]

Thanks for the replies so far. I hope I'm just being really, really paranoid for no good reason. I'm going to scrub it down tomorrow (white vinegar and water). What's really concerning me is the bar spacing. Supposedly 3/4" is "safe" for a quaker... the 1" spacing along the top of the door and bottom really do concern me, but I can probably figure a way to block them off. My little quaker is a baby yet so I'm especially nervous of all the trouble s/he can get into.

JJ

 

[MikeyTN]

Don't over panic!!! When they're new, sometimes you'll get a little excess powder so rinsing it off would be just fine! Yes baby Quakers to get into mischief, just be watchful of him in the cage. If your that worried, sent it back and get a different cage telling them their specification is false!

 

[Kalidasa]

You can use stainless steel wire and wrap it zigzag across that space to minimize it or even make it disappear. When he gets older you make be able to take it off, depending on his adult size.

 

[weco]

What's really concerning me is the bar spacing. Supposedly 3/4" is "safe" for a quaker... the 1" spacing along the top of the door and bottom really do concern me, but I can probably figure a way to block them off. My little quaker is a baby yet so I'm especially nervous of all the trouble s/he can get into.

JJ

I'm with Mikey, settle down a little.....and like he said, just wipe off the powder residue.....I say wipe because if you rinse off the cage, water may get inside to square tubing & begin rusting from the inside out.....

The powder is most likely just residue from the powder coating process that was never blown off and not a defect in the coating.....did you ever mix up powdered poster paints? Think magnetized poster paint powder, as that's how it is applied to the cage, then the cage is heated to melt & bond the paint powder to the cage.....in a large manufacturing facility, unused powder will be floating around, getting into most anything.....

Baby or not, if your new feathered friend is to arrive weaned, he will be almost full grown and too large to get caught over or under the door.....

While you and I may have one understanding of quality control, others might consider specification variances allowable.....also vendor's shipping departments are notorious for wrong parts, missing parts and substitutions if the item ordered is out of stock...probably what happened in your case.....

Really, I'm pretty sure that the only recourse you have, is to take it all apart, re-pack the cage, obtain an RMA & have the vendor issue a pick-up order with the carrier, wait for that one to be received and the replacement shipped, received & inspected, then re-assembled.....a lot of trouble, if you ask me.....

 

[GreyG]

I think I would get a small travel cage to keep the Quaker in at first so you can assess his size. I had a Quaker a few years ago (baby Grover) and I can tell you, for him at least, 3/4 inch would be a bit big. 1 inch spaces...no way. I would always worry about him getting stuck and "hanging" himself when I wasn't home. If you're concerned, a month of waiting for the cage to be exchanged is nothing compared to the worry-free years you'll have with him, IMO...

 

[JerseyWendy]

I agree with getting a cheap cockatiel cage until you get a different cage for your baby. 5/8 bar spacing is safe for Quakers, but if there are gaps of nearly 1", I'd likely be stressing just as much as you are.

 

[Mayden]

This sounds pretty much like the trouble I had with my cage for the budgie's!

Call the people you ordered the cage from, re read back to them the specifications you had of the cage when ordering and confirm that's what it is; then tell her there is 1" spacing that you were /not/ informed about and so makes the cage unsuitable, as they didn't inform you about it, it's bascially misleading or just general error, either way they should pick up the price tag for shipping again and offer you a refund or exchange equal or less than the price paid for your current cage.

In the picture I can see what areas you're talking about, so I'd definitely recommend REALLY scanning over the pictures thoroughly to see if you can spot anything 'odd' again to avoid this happening again and even ring them to confirm it. I think a smaller cage will get you better results though.

Again, you've been misled about cage specs, it's not suitable, so ask them 'if they can help' (don't 'attack' them until they say there is nothing they can do).

 

[JenJen]

Much as it embarrasses me to say so, after some sleep and remeasuring in better light (with a better measurer), the bar spacing has been confirmed to be a scant over 5/8" but definitely not 3/4" - phew! I am still in the process of prepping my quaker's new home, and am now tackling the issue with the gaps that run parallel to the top and bottom of the door, as well as the 1" gap along the bottom of the cage.

Originally, I had thought to somehow block the gap with plexiglass, but that no longer seems to be a viable solution. My next thought was to use pvc piping... essentially the same as I would a wooden dowel, which is to wedge it between the gap (horizontally). I'm hopeful this solution is going to work better (and be less edible) than a wooden dowel. If not, what are other suggestions?

Someone had mentioned the idea of zig-zagging wire around the gaps, but I'm not sure I feel terribly comfortable with that given the "shiny" and a birds inclination to chew. Then again, I could be over thinking it and that might be the soundest solution.

Any suggestions?

JJ

 

[AUHeel]

I think plexi is still doable. Just get a small strip cut and drill a couple of holes in it. Use an all thread bolt and a couple of fender washers with wing nuts on each side.

 

[JenJen]

ETA:
Thank you AUHeel... I think I was replying while you were posting. Appreciate the advice!

I will be heading off soon to the store and then home for last minute preparations to the cage and was hoping someone might chime in before I leave for the day. The hardware store says they can cut plexiglass to fit, though it's going to run me a little over $20 to get all eight 'panels' cut and drilled (four long panels for the bottom half of the cage and then four smaller panels for the top slats along the door). They said to secure it with zip ties.

I'm kind of liking this solution better than cramming a PVC pipe inbetween the bars...

JJ

 

[mrgoogls]

that's good that the cage is what it is supposed to be even so, my cage has 3/4 in bar spacing, and cooper is fine. his head could NEVER fit between the bars. so I think you would have been fine,

 

[JenJen]

Seeing Zulu in the cage alleviates all of those fears, but before hand, I just sided with the paranoia and wanting to be safe and not sorry. But Zulu seems to love his/her cage so I would def. recommend it -- provided you do as I did and plexi glass the gaps along the top/bottom of the doors and along the bottom of the cage.

JJ