Large Bird Cages For Sale
There seems to be little discussion on the subject of large bird cages for sale, which is unfortunate. After all, the purchase of a cage is secondary in importance only to the choice of which species of bird to get – and a cage accounts for a large percentage of the start-up costs of bird ownership.
But a variety of obstacles exist for anyone who wishes to purchase a cage, ranging from the extraordinary diversity on the market, to the plethora of advice offered by pet stores, internet lists, to apparently anyone who had a friend, relative or neighbour who owned a bird!
Therefore, the purpose of this article is to fight our way through all this stuff and come up with some simple guidelines to assist in dealing with the often-confusing world of birdcages. After all, your bird’s cage will be its home for hopefully many years. So the choice should be based on a wide variety of factors, including size, style, composition, cleanliness, safety and cost.
Kings Cages SLT 4032 Triple Top Cage
King’s Cages SLP 3426 Superior Line Playpen Bird Cage
Rainforest Indoor Bird Aviary
Rainforest Rio Ara Dome Top Parrot Cage
Rainforest Toronto Large Corner Parrot Cage
Liberta Raleigh Large Corner Parrot Cage
Rainforest Nova II Double Parrot Cage
Rainforest Castello II Large Double Parrot Cage
Liberta Endeavour Large Double Parrot Cage
Liberta Atlantis Large Parrot Cage
Rainforest Santa Marta Parrot Cage
Rainforest Dakota Play Top Parrot
Rainforest Ecuador Parrot Cage
Liberta Cambridge Play Top Parrot Cage
Walk In Aviary Bird Cage
Kokee Kondo Double Playtop Bird Cage
Lonomea Lookout Double Playtop Large Bird Cage
Koloa Kavern Medium Bird Cage – Two Top Options
Lonomea Lookout Large Bird Cage – Two Top Options
Size (or, Bigger is Better)
In my view, too many large bird cages for sale on the market are unfit for any live animal. For instance, I detest what I call “tube cages”, that are only 30 cm. (12 inches) in diameter, but a meter high. Birds do not fly straight up and down like a helicopter, so for exercise purposes, the dimension that matters is the horizontal space a cage offers, not its height.
I liken these tube cages to someone having to live in a walk-in closet that is three stories high. But people apparently like these cages because the height provides the illusion of size without encroaching on the space for human habitation. (Heaven forbid that humans should have to give up living space, after all!)
The rule of thumb with cage sizes is to purchase the largest cage you can afford. However, if you cannot afford a cage that is large enough to comfortably house the species you want, then you should not get that species of bird. Simple. For instance, if you can barely fit yourself into your tiny flat, then do not consider anything but the smallest species of birds on the market.
It is definitely abusive to force a bird to live in too small a cage.
What Is The Right Size?
So what is the right size, you ask? In my opinion, if a bird never comes out of its cage to fly and exercise, it needs a horizontal space of 2-3 times the wingspan in width and depth. For example:
Small species (Budgerigars, Canaries, Cockatiels, etc.) – 60 cm. (24”) by 90 cm. (36”).
Medium-sized Parrots (Amazons, Greys and small Cockatoos) – 90 cm. (36”.) by 135 cm. (54”.).
Large Macaws (Blue and Yellow, Scarlet, Green Winged, etc.) and large Cockatoos (Moluccans, Umbrellas, etc.) would enjoy 180 cm. (72”) by 270 cm. (108”).
In addition, Parrots with crests or long tails need the necessary height so prevent feathers from touching the roof or floor (or grate) of the cage.
However, this basic arithmetic does not take the activity levels of various species into consideration. For instance, while Parrots like Caiques, Lories and Lorikeets) are considered rather small in size, their extraordinarily high activity levels (rather like a ferret on crack cocaine) will drive them to use every cubic centimetre of their cages, every single day.
Consequently, they need a cage that is much larger than their size would indicate. Finches and Canaries are also active birds, so they also need flight space.
As an additional note, the more toys are loaded into a large bird cages for sale, the less space the bird has to live and play. Haven’t we all encountered our dear Great-Aunt Mary’s parlour that is so laden with furniture that we cannot easily move from one place to another, or lift our teacup without knocking something off a table with our elbows?
In that vein, make certain a cage is large enough for a bird AND all those toys (and perches and ladders and swings and food and water bowls) that it needs!
Safety Issues
When choosing the largest large bird cages for sale possible, one also needs to consider safe bar spacing. It is dangerous for a bird to be able to stick its head through the cage bars, as it can too easily get caught and injured – perhaps fatally.
Due to this possibility, care must be taken when considering putting a smaller bird in a large cage. Safe bar spacing for small birds is about 1 cm. (½ in.); medium sized birds need 2 cm. (about ¾ in.); large species need 2.5 cm. (1 in.)
A Parrot’s beak power is another critical safety issue. Many cages have bars that are unable to stand up to the crushing power of a Parrot’s beak, which can allow it to break welds and bend and/or break the cage bars. This is a disaster in the making.
When assessing a cage for purchase, do not forget to run your hand all around the inside of the cage, feeling for sharp edges, metal spurs or rough places. Sharp edges and spurs can cause injuries, and rough patches make cleaning more difficult.
Cage Styles
Cages come in a breathtaking array of styles, and again, the best cage for you and your bird will depend on the species of bird, as well as your own needs. Generally speaking, cages are categorized as open top, playtop, and solid top styles, with pros and cons of each.
Open top cages:
These have tops that open (obviously), providing holders to which you can add a perch. This enables the bird a high vantage point as well as the ability to re-enter the cage for food and water as needed. This style of cage might be a disadvantage for novice owners who are unable to get a Parrot to voluntarily leave the high perch so owners can close the cage for the night.
Playtop cages:
Like the open top cages, these are popular when there is little room for a Parrot to spread out, and for some birds, they work quite well. However, if owners have not properly trained their Parrots, getting them down off a playtop cage can be a challenge. Some playtop cages allow you to remove the playtop to place elsewhere while Parrots are taught better manners, to be returned to the original position once proper training is in place.
Solid top cages:
Solid top cages can be either flat or rounded (“dome top”). This style of cage does not open, nor does it have a specific play area attached. The dome top cages can present a trial for short (a.k.a. “height challenged”) owners trying to reach birds that hang out in the dome.
A note about decorated cages: in my opinion, birds are lovely creatures and any folderol on a cage (scrollwork, curlicues, etc.) only detracts from that. Besides, many such decorations have been the causes of injuries to birds, as they can get caught on such gewgaws.
The Issue of Height and So-called “Height Dominance”
Some Parrots tend to present more problematic behaviours when they are higher than their owners, though not all do. There are various opinions as to why this happens, but no scientific proof on any side of the issue.
What matters is that proper training (teaching a bird to step on and off the hand or perch) resolves the issue quite nicely. My Macaw Sam is always pleased to come off the top of her dome-style cage, as she knows from experience that she will be rewarded with something she values – such as praise, a good scratch, or a lovely treat.
Incidentally, keeping a bird below eye level does not guarantee only good behaviours, though many people seem to have come to that conclusion. If only life with Parrots were so easy!
Cage Composition
Most cages are either powder coated or they are Stainless Steel. Powder coating means the metal is spray painted, and these cages can be quite attractive, as owners can choose colours that coordinate with the environment and the bird itself.
On the down side, sooner or later, the paint on power coated cages will chip. This is not cause for alarm, though, as reputable companies can re-do powder coating at reasonable costs. Certainly less than replacing the cage!
Stainless Steel large bird cages for sale are the crème de la crème, and many are very expensive. On the plus side, these cages can last forever, so the initial outlay is counterbalanced by the lack of replacement costs in the future. I am pleased to have a Stainless Steel cage for my Blue and Yellow Macaw, and it is truly a joy to maintain.