Article by Rachael Stone

Many people get a great deal of satisfaction from owning their own pet parrot. Of course, with the joy of having a parrot as a pet comes a great deal of responsibility. Among all of the details that you must be responsible for is the parrot cage. After paying up to 00 or more to acquire that special parrot you want to make sure that you arrange the appropriate type of housing for your new companion. Many people are hit with a case of severe sticker shock when they first begin to price cages. A good quality bird cage that is built large enough and strong enough for the needs of a parrot can cost more than 0. In order to save those hard earned dollars and still give their new parrot a wonderful cage a lot of people are choosing to build their own parrot cage.

The first step to building your own parrot cage is deciding on the style of cage that seems to fit your parrot’s needs. Making certain that the cage will fit easily in one of the rooms of your house is extremely important. It might be a good idea to first take some measurements of the room where the cage will be placed. The needed dimensions are going to be critical factors when it comes to bird cage construction. Due to the fact that parrots are large birds, creating a large cage is essential. We recommend building minimally a cage that is 3 feet on each side.

When you are ready to build the house for your new bird you are going to have to decide on some other details. Some parrot cages have legs and others can just be placed on a stand of your choice. There are cages that can even be hung from the ceiling. It is important to pick out both the shape and the types of materials for your cage.

For a simple cube shape you can begin with two pieces of wire cut the same length and folded into thirds. Together, these two pieces form the top and bottom of the parrot cage as well as the sides. Simply fasten two pieces of wire together with some electrical ties or cage clips. Use a wire cutter to make an opening in one side of the cube. Then use a small section of wire that is a little larger than this opening for the door. To accommodate the weight and size of any parrot you will need to make sure that you are using a heavy gauge wire. Lighter wires would pose the problem of breaking which could let your parrot escape, or get injured.

If you want to build a parrot cage that is sturdier you should first construct a basic frame made from wood. Then you can wrap the frame with heavy gauge wire and attach the wire to the frame. You can cut a hole in this wire to make the opening just as described in the construction of a wire cube cage. Be certain that the wood that faces your parrot is completely unfinished. This is because most of these products have chemicals that are toxic to parrots and other birds.

No matter what style of parrot cage you decide to build it is important to make sure that the bottom of the cage is designed with a solid tray insert. These are described as false bottoms and will let the waste products from your bird pass from the cage into the holding tray for easy removal and cleaning. Another effect is that the bacteria from the bird droppings will be farther away from your parrot. Lining the tray with wax paper or newspaper will be more hygienic. There are even some ready to use liners that can be bought and used.

Extra accessories are also important to remember and must be included in any parrot cage. Of course, mirrors, tug ropes, perches, bells and swings are commonly added to parrot cages. Adding perches made from smaller tree branches often delights parrots.

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