Thoughts on buying used?

[jbail1026]

Hi! I've purchased an aquarium second hand on Craig's List, and was considering doing the same with a cage. Anything I should be worried about particularly in purchasing a used cage? I would wash it down with a 1:10 bleach:water solution. What about using used wooden perches? Is the bleaching sufficient? The cage I'm looking at as a nice natural branch looking perch that I'd love to use.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Jowelbg]

My vet told us no on the wooden purchases. The risk versus reward just isn't there.

 

[Zazoothehahns]

Same here, I wouldn't use ropes, perches, swings and so on, but a clean cage in great shape that can be washed down and thoroughly sanitized I see no issue with. I got an amazing cage with many more bells and whistles than I could have afforded. What I was going to buy....a 36x36x18" deep cage from cages by design, no cabinets, no fancy background, just the basic cage directly from the company wit 3/4" spaced SS wire grate sides.
What I got from CL in excellent used condition.....a cage made by cages by design that is 48x48x24 has a base cabinet on the bottom for storage, a cabinet on top for the UV lamps, UV lamps included, upgraded 1/2"SS mesh sides, four of their low mess feed/water dishes, pull out wire grid bottom, pull out catch pan, forest background all upgrades.....paid less than what I would have paid for the basic plain Jane one directly from the company. Paid about 25% of what It would have been new. Best word of advice....look for a clean, rust free, chip free, quality made, quality brand and clean and sanitize it very well. I think my daughter's Hahns macaw thinks it is in a palace.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I agree with what is already said, a cage in good condition is great, but don't use any old toys, perches, or swings. I would only use old toys/perches if they came from a friend and I personally new the health history of that bird.

 

[jbail1026]

Thanks Guys! That was my initial thought on the wood perches...just hate to see that go to waste, but yes, risk>benefit.

Joel, what cage did you all end up getting for your two caiques?

And what an AMAZING deal for that Cages by Design cage! Nothing like that on CL around here, but I can keep hoping and looking! WOW.

 

[WeimerHeimer]

I've gotten some really good deals on used cages off of Craigslist over the last few years. Make sure you look it over really good. I always inspect the "welds" on the bars. NAy broken welds on the bars can make ofr a safety issue with any bird. Welding them is not easy. It can be done, but it really messes the powder coating up and then you're looking at a refinishing project. Rust is my biggest concern. It's not areal big deal if it's confined to just the waste tray and you;re using a grate/grill to separate the bird and and the bottom waste tray. If you're looking at a lot of rust on the bars then you're looking at yet again .... a refinishing project.

If you do find a nice used cage out there for a good buy remember this ....... when you go to transport it home make sure you do NOT lift into or out of the truck by placing your finger through the bars and lifting it. Cages are not meant to be lifted up by placing your fingers through the bars. Cages are heavy and even the best made cages are not designed to be lifted by the bars. Make sure you lift the cage by the sides, bottom, or one of the heavier cross members that can handle the load.

Good Luck!

 

[JerseyWendy]

The only thing I'd like to add is to make sure the cage hasn't been "painted" to make it look brand spanking new.

 

[crimson]

one other thing to add, make sure it has not been kept outside or in a garage, as it may contain critters....bleaching it just won't cut it when it comes to those pesky bugs

 

[Jowelbg]

Thanks Guys! That was my initial thought on the wood perches...just hate to see that go to waste, but yes, risk>benefit.

Joel, what cage did you all end up getting for your two caiques?

And what an AMAZING deal for that Cages by Design cage! Nothing like that on CL around here, but I can keep hoping and looking! WOW.

I'm a little bit grumbly on the cage. We had one picked out and I missed the fact that it had 1" bar spacing. I had done some reading and wasn't too worried about it until we tried them out in what amounted to a sleep cage. The bar spacing was a little bigger than 1", and they couldn't escape. They could get a good part of their body out, though. I was concerned they were going to get stuck. They tried to get out of the cage by leaving a wing behind.

Good thing Caiques aren't stubborn....

I'm hunting again.

 

[Merlee]

Oh yeah, before taking the cage inside take it apart to see if you have any critters inside the frame.