Does anyone have a Ferplast Medium Brio indoor aviary and, if so, how many budgies do you keep in it?

 

Also, how do you hang toys in it?

 

Thanks.

:nest:

Edited August 13, 200519 yr by AngelaR

Hello!!

 

I have one of these 'cages'. I've been posting about it (asking for ideas on layouts) in the aviaries section. At the moment, I only have three budgies in it, but I think you could easily have around eight birds in there. I'm not sure when it comes to working out birds-space ratio, but three look lost in there, I know that. It's nice and wide so they have plenty of room to fly around. I was initially concerened as I know budgies like to fly across, not up and down, but they do use the full height of it as it's wide enough for them to be able to fly across and down. Phil and Lil are only babies and it's great to see them playing in it and enjoying the space.

 

There's loads of space for toys etc. and lots of flexibility in terms of layouts. I'm currently still trying to get some branches for it, but we have managed (well, dad has!) to replace the plastic perches with wooden ones (full length) and I've put a shop-bought screw on branch in there too.

 

Access is great with two huge doors on the front and a smaller door on either side. Having it on castors makes it really easy to move about as well. I use the space underneath for storing their seed / bird sand and bits and bobs. I'd highly recommend it, personally.

 

Forgot to answer your other question! I've 'rigged up' a piece of thick wire across the top so I've managed to hang a swing up. However, I intend to remove the roof and replace it with two pieces of mesh, as I know other people have done, so I can hang things from the roof. It's quite simple to do, I just haven't got round to doing it yet. This will make the cage less 'bulky' too as the overhanging roof really annoys me, to be honest. I've banged my head on it more than once! However, if you didn't want to do that, you could easily fix a square of mesh across the top internally - perhaps using cable ties - and keep the exterior roof on as well so the cage still looks 'pretty' but you have something to hang things from.

 

Hope this helps xx

Edited August 14, 200519 yr by Hanlou

This is going to sound off the wall but here goes...

 

In inches (which is what I'm used to dealing with) it's only 25"x21"x63" and I can't imagine eight birds in there and this is why.

 

While it is extremely tall it isn't all that wide or deep. The minimum suggested size for one budgie is 18"x18"x18" and height is not usually important because birds tend to sit at the top most of the time and not use much of the lower space. Width is most important so that's what I'm concentrating on when looking at this cage.

 

So, here's the off the wall part, please don't strangle me! I wouldn't put more than four budgies in there if I wanted them to have a decent amount of space. Maybe five but it just seems like it would be quite cramped. If you had budgies that were tame enough to come out of the cage often then of course that would help and maybe six could live in there comfortably granted they get a looot of out of cage time.

 

Just my two cents!

No - I don't have a problem with being told. As I admitted, I really wouldn't know where to start with how many birds to put in it. However, as I said, the height vs. width was what also concerned me, but they do seem to use the height as well as the width, funnily enough.

 

I didn't choose my Brio for the budgies!! I chose it for my rats - which may seem strange, but it's true. Rats love to climb and most cages on the market are way too small so someone suggested using the Brio type cages for them with shelves etc in - which is what I used to use it for. But I now have what I feel is a better cage for my rats as it is wider as well as tall. So the Brio Medium was 'spare' and I know that it is most definitely far better than the okay but much smaller cage they used to have. It is wider than many 'standard' budgie cages on the market, at any rate, also.

 

If I were to go out and choose a cage for budgies - it would be a Ferlpast Mito / Duetto type cage as they have the width as well as the height. The Duetto would mean you could have two different types of birds even as it is split across the middle, and this would be my first choice, personally. I get really annoyed at the amount of stupid 'cylinder-shaped' cages there are out there - birds don't fly like that - they're useless for budgies.

 

All this said, my Brio was spare and the birds love it and I feel it's given them a better quality of life and it affords much more scope for toys etc than their previous cage. We're working on finger taming Phil and Lil, and as soon as we have done, they'll come out regularly.

 

Thanks for the comments.

 

eterri: What cage (indoor) would you say is ideal - if money were no object? I'm not being 'funny' - I hope to move out (again) eventually and I want to have budgies but I also want the best indoor cage I can have. Thanks!!

Feel like crud now. My birds are in a cylinder-shaped cage because it's what I could find. And, I originally only had one bird. However, I have redeemed myself & ordered them a new cage on e-Bay. I'll post photos...FedEx is supposed to have it here Tuesday. Yay!

For three budgies, I think it's a good cage, honestly. But my concern was if more budgies were to be added.

 

This cage is the type I wish I could have but I just don't have the space right now. I would remove the divider and just use the entire cage if I could. It's 64"x21"x35"

 

Of course, my budgies have decided to not like each other so even if I had the space it wouldn't be a good idea right now. *glares at the difficult budgies*

Edited August 14, 200519 yr by eterri

e-bay link isn't working for me, eterri.

Just fixed it.

Feel like crud now. My birds are in a cylinder-shaped cage because it's what I could find.  And, I originally only had one bird.  However, I have redeemed myself & ordered them a new cage on e-Bay. I'll post photos...FedEx is supposed to have it here Tuesday.  Yay!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't feel bad, and yay for getting a new cage! That's what counts. We all have to learn from things, I won't even go into what Piper lived in when I first got her.

Cool!! i've seen on ebay (and liked) the 'single' version of that cage - the 'flight 4' I think?!

 

Aw - morethanrubies - don't say that!! You're on here so you obviously care about your birds. It's the manufacturers of such cages and the pet shops who give out terrible advice that are to be blamed, I feel. :devil: It's exactly the same with rats - pet shops sell tiny cages that are hardly big enough for hamsters and recommend pine wood shavings as bedding which are in fact, dangerous for rats' health. Makes me so angry... tut.. tut...

 

*will stop ranting now!*

 

That's why I use internet forums now - to find correct advice.

That cage is really cool, eterri. Your advice about horizontal vs. vertical flight is one reason I'm getting the cage I'm getting, instead of one about the same width but much higher. I figure I'll keep upgrading them every year or so, gently adjusting my husband to the idea of a flight cage/aviary outside. :devil: (I'm such a sneak.) And, the used cages seem to sell easily as new ones are quite pricey.

Good luck with cages everyone!

eterri, that's the one I want too. I saw it in a pet store and am seriously contemplating it.

Hi. I just wanted to say something about this cage - a lot of people think birds won't use the height and so it's only worth buying 'long and low' cages. Fair enough, we all know high only cages aren't good for birds because they fly across. (I hate to see those daft cylindrical cages!!) Although, its's worth remembering that this cage is 25 inches (64.5 cms) wide - so not narrow, I don't think, personally?

 

However, our birds use all the height!! They fly down and up and across and round and up and down........ You get the picture. So it's worth bearing in mind if you see one of these cages but 'discount it' because it's high. First of all, it is wide as well as high! Certainly wider than a lot of the budgie cages I've seen in pet shops around here. Secpndly, contrary to all I've been told, they use all of the space and it's great to see them doing so.

 

What I would say, is that if you do get one of these cages, buy the Brio Maxi (30 inches wide or 75cms) as it has that little bit 'extra width'. In fact, the same width as the cages Eterri is buying........

 

The measurements I've given are the internal measurements - the spac the birds have excluding the overhanging rooves. Sorry if this comes across as a rant, it isn't, I just wanted to say this because I've read so often that birds won't use the height in a cage like this - but ours definitely do!!! and the extra space means I can put more toys / activities in there for them.

 

We won't be having more than 4 birds in ours though - I think that's about right, as has been said.

Edited September 1, 200519 yr by Hanlou