What size cage should i get??

Question

as many of you know im researching the african grey so i can be prepared next year when i get one,,its at times is confusing as people have different oppinions so here it is I read a small cage is better seeing as though they can fall as babies then i read a bigger cage not so tall but square and longer is great I personally have fallen for a real nice aviary it cost a lot however its beautiful and has many perches and hanger safe toy places I figured if i pad the bottem and lower the perches this would be ok ????? also please be aware i will let the bird out etc..Im just trying to understand the cage thing right now as i will purchase the cage in a few weeks also the one i like is on sale!! not that it matters but is that fate or what?? oh and I found a real great reputable breeder who is working with me I just feel like i ask to many questions and feel a little weird Ok ill stop you all have been great !!

Answer 1

Get the biggest cage you can afford and can fit into the space you want to put it. The more important thing is bar spacing. Don't fall for the "California Cage" snobbery either -- you don't need to pay a fortune for a good quality cage. I've got an HQ cage that I bought at a local bird fair and it's HUGE. My three caiques don't spend much time in it, but it's got plenty of room for all kinds of "bendy" perches and food bowls and hanging toys.

Answer 2

The bigger the better, and just like stated before please be awareof the bar spacing. Yes, young birds do tend to fall, but it is no reason to get a smaller cage. All that is needed is to place the perches and toys lower to the bottom of the cage, so when they do fall they won't get hurt. You are not weird, it is good that you want to know the most you can, I ask a lot of questions too.

Answer 3

I had a large cockatoo and have the cage that she was in wanna buy it..... its blue on wheels has a top drift wood pertch w. two bowl holders.  then four other food and water bowls that go on the sides. its not to big and its not to small.  My bird loved it and for the most part she was on top of the cage the whole time.  email me if your interested [e-mail]

Answer 4

It's great that you're doing so much research before you bring your bird home! That alone tells me that you will be a good "parront" to him!

Baby birds are often very clumsy, so put the perches low in the cage in case he falls. You could also line the bottom of the cage with rags to soften his falls.

However, this doesn't mean that you should buy him/her a small cage.

For parrots, the bigger the better! My african grey, Oscar, has a large cage (3/4" bar spacing) with a playtop on it. She uses the playtop every day, so it was definitely worth it! But if your bird will be in the cage most of the day, you may want to invest in a dome-top cage to allow more room on the inside of the cage. Of course, you could buy a playstand so that he still has a fun place to sit on while you are at home.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Ok, I can help you with this.

Baby Greys are VERY clumsy!  Especially when they sleep, they can fall off the perch.  The real nightmare is when blood feathers are coming in, the baby falls, and breaks one.  You have to learn how to pull the whole feather out from the base, where the feather is exiting the body - NOT where the break occurred (that will just tear the feather in 2 and it will never stop bleeding).  In nature the baby is never left alone, and if for some reason a blood feather does break, the parents quickly pull it out at the base.  As it's "mother", you HAVE to learn how to correctly pull out the baby's blood feather!!

OK, so for the baby, the TALLER it is, the FURTHER it has to fall and the more likely it will hurt itself, so the general rule is wide but not tall.  HOWEVER, after about 8 months to a year, the baby will stop falling.  At that point, the BEST thing in the world for your birds happiness is, the bigger the better.  The bigger it is, you can put more toys in, it can flap around without hitting the bars, etc.  At a very very minimum, your bird has to have enough room to completely spread its wings without touching the sides.  This is a must, even thought you will be letting it out - you won't have it out when you're not home!  Even as adults, the height of the cage is not as important (they like to be high, so they stay at the top anyway - you can alway put a shorted cage on a stand...) but it HAS to be a minimum of 2x2 feet, and MUCH better is 3X2 or 3X3 feet.

Good Luck, I've had mine for 14 years and she is great!

Answer 6

as long as the as the cage is large enough for toys and perches and for the bird to spred it's wings without feathers bumpong into the bars. thelarger the better, but they r expensive for a gray.