Cages
Large Macaws:
Macaws are large and high energy birds, they need a lot of room to play and excercise. Remeber, they have large tails and they will need plenty of room to accommodate them. Macaws need to have at LEAST a MINIMUM of 4 hours of hour of cage time.
A minimum cage size of 5 ft W x 6 ft H x 3½ ft D for larger Macaws, with a minimum bar spacing of 1 to 1.5 inches, as they are large birds the need large cages. Getting a cage that is the wrong size for the parrot you own could result in head hitting, damaged wings and caught body parts.
Smaller Macaws:
A minimum cage size of 24" W x 24" H x 18" D is required for smaller Macaws; We recommend 4 hours of playtime out of the cage per day minimum.
Large Cockatoos:
Be cautios with cages such as the one below, that have dome tops. Many Cockatoos expecially when going through sexual maturity and during breeding season become very dominant. With large dome top cages they can tower over you and thus become aggressive.
Cockatoos are among the most emotional and the most dusty of all the parrots. Cockatoos are prone to feather picking if not cared for properly. Also, Cockatoos produce a dust that some people have allergies to. Large Cockatoos will require a minimum of 3-4 hours per day outside of their cages. Cockatoos are expected to have a life span 60 years and up. There have been some reported cases of cockatoos living to be over 100!
The correct size cage for a large Cockatoo should be MINIMUM 36"x48"x48".
Small Cockatoos:
Small Cockatoos should have a minimum cage size of 24"x36"x48".
Amazons, Eclectus and African Greys:
Amazons, Eclectus, and African Greys must also have large cages, the correct size cage should be a minimum of 24"x36"x48".
Conures, Quakers and Senegals:
These birds require a cage that is a minimum of 24"x24"x36" as they are high energy birds.
Indian Ringnecks and Rosellas:
Both IRN's and Rosellas are high energy birds that need a cage that is a minimum of 24"x24"x36"
Doves:
We have had several Doves pass through our rescue and I do not clip their wings. Unlike parrots, doves do not climb. So when housed in a cage they must fly from perch to perch. "Doves and Pigeons: Doves need daily flight time so should either be kept in a flight cage or given daily flight time outside of the cage.
Cockatiels, Lovebirds and Parakeets:
Each of these birds are small high energy birds and should have a minimum cage size of, 24"x24"x24".
Finches and Canaries:
These birds are hyper and need a lot of room to fly.
Finches and Canaries should have a minimum cage of, 18"x30"x18". Also because they are so active they burn energy faster, therefore there must be food in their dish ALL THE TIME.
We get calls and emails all the time with people asking "why is my bird so messy?" . It's important to understand the "mess" on your kitchen floor is really meant to be the forest floor.
Birds are meant to sow seeds and spread them throughout their natural habitat. One of the best examples I have are small ponds in the middle of nowhere. You'll be driving on a summer day and see fisherman with fishing lines in a small body of water.
Have you ever asked yourself where are the fish coming from? Bird Poop - that's where. Birds will eat fish or fish eggs in a "mature" pond or lake , fly elsewhere & deposit the undigested fish eggs in another perhaps smaller body of water. Fish will hatch from these eggs and so it goes.
Because of their high metabolism, parrots generally poop every 15 minutes. Combine that with husks from bird seed, feather molt and dander - well I don't have to tell you. Yes birds are messy - we can help.
Here's a some things you can do to reduce bird cage clean up chores.
- Place a sheet of newspaper on top the floor grate as well as under it in the tray - Less grate cleaning.
- Place food bowls on the news paper (on the grate) not in the food dish holders - Seeds go into the tray not the floor
- Fill food dishes 1/4 - 1/3 full - Birds will become less selective and dump less
- Lose the metal seed guards - Less metal to clean
- Introduce some pellets and fresh or frozen vegetables then reduce seed usage
- Use a hand held steam cleaner to clean the cage
- Place an office chair mat under the cage to help protect you home's floor
Of course at-the-end-of-the day you still do have to clean so here's some great stuff to help you through your journey with your birds.
-Windy City Parrots
http://www.windycityparrot.com/