Before you go out to buy a new cage....make sure it is not like this.

 

 

Budgerigars are not Helicopters. They like to fly forward not up.

 

 

This is a better cage but the perches should go across the cage not along it.

 

Edited November 2, 200519 yr by daz

handy hint, thanks.

I just bought a nice long cage, but I kept the original perches. I will now change them! Thanks Daz.

In one of my breeding books it talks of having the Perches so that the male can dart back and forth....let me see where is it....

 

Ah here it is.....Two perches, placed at an equal height on opposite ends of the breeding cage are superior to one perch running the length of the cage, for encouraging mating behaviours. In normal mating behaviour the cock will fly from one perch to another either followed by the hen or the hen remains on the perch for his return. This is followed by side walking, where both the hen and the cock walk sideways from one end of the perch to another. Then the cock bird faces the hen in forward display, where his cap feather and spots are thrust forward.

 

okay i'll stop it there. That goes in to some interesting bits

Edited November 2, 200519 yr by daz

Mmm, in that case I might keep the original perches, I wouldn't like Scruffy to get any ideas about my babies

Thank you for the advice. I actually had one of those when I was younger for our tiel can you imagine, but switched it out to a good rectangle cage and that is what our budgie is in now. Thank you for sharing I am sure others have made that error unknowningly.

Yep - I totally agree. I've always put perches 'fromt-to-back' as I thought it was the most logical way of doing things. Good to know I've been doing something right then!

 

I wish they'd stop selling 'cylindrical' cages. So bad for birdies.

Good post daz-very helpful.

Where'd you get that picture?? If it was on ebay was that cage advertised as a budgie cage?

Useful info Daz

I saw a cage like that on ebay.com.au, advertised for budgies and cockatiels, who don't fly up either.

It actually looks like a massive peanut holder/feeder for wild birds

 

I had to scroll up and look at it again...

 

i agree all birds need a long cage so they have enough room to flight, i would also use a selection of perches too from plastic one to natural fruit tree wood ones( use fruit tree wood as some other woods can be poisionous) as this helps to strength the claws. you can now get sandy perches which help to keep the claws down. I think that green tall cage would be great for chipmunks (Laughing out loud)

Edited November 29, 200519 yr by Helly

I thought the cage was cute - useless but cute. Could plant a bouganvillea in it.

Daz, is a cage with diagonally placed perches okay? I can't use the front of the cage, it'd block the doors, so I stuck one end of it in the front corner and the other end is in the opposite back corner, almost.

I like diagonals, there are no straight lines in nature, so I thought I'd bend a rule or 2. So is this perch idea okay, or do I have to think it out again?

that's fine Caren I have some on an angle in my cage too It's not fun just having them straight.

 

as this helps to strength the claws. you can now get sandy perches which help to keep the claws down.

 

It's more to strengthen they feet and stop them from getting bumble foot or arthritis from having the feet curled in the same position all the time. Also I wouldn't use the sandpaper perch covers although made to keep the nails filed down they rub the feet and can cause infections.

Hey Daz, the pictures you show as an example of a good and bad cage, well with the good cage, I actually bought Apples new cage from these people for Christmas.. Its HUGEEEEE, the pictures simply dont do it justice. I could cross my legs and sit in there (if it didnt have a playgym on the bottom )

 

 

 

It was a great purchase, room enough for him and his soon to be little mate

Cheers :beer:

Una

Yep, got rid of my "helicopter cage" 2 months after getting my first budgies which was about 13 years ago. Besides reading literature, I realized, although aesthetically pleasing, it wasn't the best thing for birds although they still continue to sell the stupid things.

Nice cage una and great playgym where was that found?

Hey Daz, the pictures you show as an example of a good and bad cage, well with the good cage, I actually bought Apples new cage from these people for Christmas.. Its HUGEEEEE, the pictures simply dont do it justice. I could cross my legs and sit in there (if it didnt have a playgym on the bottom )

 

 

 

It was a great purchase, room enough for him and his soon to be little mate

Cheers :beer:

Una

 

That is a great cage. It has plenty of room. Four story budgie cage.

 

I also love the playgym.

Edited January 5, 200619 yr by daz

Before you go out to buy a new cage....make sure it is not like this.

 

 

Budgerigars are not Helicopters. They like to fly forward not up.

 

 

This is a better cage but the perches should go across the cage not along it.

 

 

I'm confused... if the second cage is the same width as the first one... wouldn't the first one be better because on a whole it does have more space. Of course I shant forget that budgies aren't helicopters still... The second cage also look very small, but pictures are misleading so it may just be that I can't see the size properly.

What's wrong with the first one is that it's tall (not enough room for flying across) and it's also round which is unsuitable for any bird.

The second on is much better. It's a decent size and it's wide rather than tall as well as being rectangular with no fancy shapes. This will mean all the space is used, there'll be flying space and it'll be easy to hang toys.

What's wrong with the first one is that it's tall (not enough room for flying across) and it's also round which is unsuitable for any bird.

The second on is much better. It's a decent size and it's wide rather than tall as well as being rectangular with no fancy shapes. This will mean all the space is used, there'll be flying space and it'll be easy to hang toys.

 

I was aware of the round thing, it's just the second cage looks mighty tiny to me.

I guess it's just the way I perceive the picture.

The second cage i'm pretty certain is a flight cage. They're really large....about 40" long, 18" high and 18" deep. I really want one as they're not too expensive either.