DIY Cage Help

[kat]

Looking for input/advice/etc. from anyone who has built their own cages. How would you go about creating a large, fairly lightweight but durable indoor aviary or flight cage? I'm thinking 6' long x 2.5' wide x 4' high, preferably with an extra 1-2' of shelf space underneath for food/toys/etc. storage. (I wanted to just buy one but can't find one anywhere near that big on my budget, lol.)

I was thinking of upcycling an old cabinet or entertainment center, but don't know if it's better to just start from scratch? I've also seen stuff using PVC? Ideas welcome. :)

[Dragonlady2]

Hi Kat and welcome to the forum. Building an indoor aviary is a great idea. So we can help you better can you tell us what kind of bird(s) you are wanting to build it for?

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Hi Kat and welcome, as Helena mentions, we need to know what type of birds as some are more destructive than others, an Amazon or Macaw could trash something that is quite suitable for littlies. I would be looking at making a frame out of aluminium L or box extrusions, lightweight durable and easy to work with.

[kat]

Ah, I was hoping species wouldn't be important...he's a European Starling. Completely legal to own in NY (USA), just very strange. He is 5 years old and fully flighted (I've never had his wings clipped), if that makes a difference.

[Dragonlady2]

How interesting, owning a starling. Let me see what I can dig up on caging or aviaries for such a bird. Could you tell us more about him, like how did you get him, what is he like as a "pet". I had a myna bird when I was younger and I wonder if they are similar.


From what I could find out, you could use pvc and bird netting. Do you have other pets that would be in the same room?

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Starlings are fascinating birds with wonderful plumage. They turn up here (SE England) in the autumn (fall) after spending the summer in Russia apparently. They seem to time their arrival with the fruiting of the berries on our English Yew tree, gangs of them turn up a couple of times a day, have a few berries each and then all clear off again to raid some other food source. :)

[kat]

It's a funny story -- I was at school and my teacher found him in the closet. I was working at a vet at the time, so I took him to work. Long story short, the wildlife rehabber didn't have room and suggested I take him home myself. You'll only have him 4-6 weeks, she said. Well it's been 5 years and he still can't catch a worm. The fact that he imprinted on me is a whole separate issue, lol. My poor child.

He's very friendly (but always on his terms). Loves phones more than anything! I used to call home while I was at school (I couldn't have him in the dorms) and he'd fly over and perch on the phone to listen. Far more interested in interacting with my dogs than other birds, unfortunately. I've caught him playing chicken with my Chihuahuas, and I have to keep him separated from my big dogs because he'll try to land on their heads. (I had a friend babysit him once and he almost ended up dog chow when he escaped his cage -- luckily her dog was very docile!) He also loves fish. I have two beta tanks next to his current indoor cage and he watches them all the time (and tries to bust into the tanks when he's loose!). And he's a narcissist. ;P He spends a disturbing amount of time looking at himself in the mirror, and bathes at least once a day, probably more when I'm not looking.

My Chihuahuas won't bother him, but I do have an 80 on GSD -- she's almost never in the room where his cage is, and certainly never unsupervised (and they're never loose together), but to be safe I don't want to make anything too flimsy. The bird himself isn't a big escape artist.

[Dragonlady2]

What a great story. Starlings can sure be mischievous. He sounds very entertaining and you obviously care a lot about him.

I am worried about the interaction between Babylon(is that his name?) and your dogs. Precisely Parrots is founded on advocating safety for our feathered companions and co-mingling between birds and other animals is not advised. Accidents happen so quickly and I would hate to see anything happen to your little bird.

As to cage set up. You will definitely require something durable and sturdy. The cabinet recycling idea could work, but air circulation and cleaning might be a problem. Have you checked Craigslist? Sometimes there are great deals to be found on there. I think "Casper's 2nd best friend" might have an idea or two.

[kat]

The dogs are part of why I want a bigger cage. He loves to see them, and I trust my Chihuahuas not to chase him (they're old), but I don't trust him to leave them alone. I didn't use to worry, but he didn't use to be so bold. He's never gotten within touching range of the dogs (apart from the babysitting incident), but I don't want to push my luck. Catching him playing chicken was kind of the tipping point for me on that issue. I figure with a bigger cage, he can still see them and do his silly thing (racing around squawking at them), but be safely separated.

I've been on Craigslist looking at cabinets and materials, but I'm not really sure what I should be looking for.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Do a Google search for "building an aviary" and you will find lots of advice, some of which might be useful. If it is for use indoors I would highly recommend that it is on wheels or castors, it will be quite heavy and you will need to get behind it to clean up the mess that all birds love to make.
What sort of tools do you have? Do you have any carpentry or metalworking experience?
If starting from scratch, I would make a framework out of 1x1x1/8" aluminium L section either pop-riveted or bolted (use stainless steel fixings).
The reason I would use aluminium instead of plastic (pvc) is that it is more rigid and you are talking quite a lot of flexibility in a six foot length. However, a framework made out of 1.25" or 1.5" pvc plumbing pipe would be very light and manoeuverable so worth considering. You would also have ready source T pieces and elbows.
Once you have got your basic box shape you will need some wire or nylon mesh of a suitable size that the bird cannot get itself caught up. Then you need to consider how to get in and out, both the bird and yourself for cleaning. Then work out how to support and fix perching places. Copying what others have done and learning from their mistakes.
You can begin to see why these things are so expensive to buy ready made, but they have the advantage of mass production economies so perhaps the place to start is to make a rough design, list all the materials you will need and do a costing. Then compare this to the cost of buying a ready made (self assembly) unit.
What you won't get from buying ready made is the satisfaction of designing, problem solving and making your own aviary.

[Dragonlady2]

Any luck coming up with a cage or aviary idea for Babylon? I'd be interested to see what you come up with. It might give me ideas for reconfiguring the bird room.

[Lady]

:th_hi:kat

:pp_welcome:

I have no idea about making a cage but will be glad to learn as you take us on your journey and tell us how or what you decide to do.

[kat]

I think we've settled on PVC -- my dad originally wanted wood, but we made a 5ft high jungle gym out of PVC today and I think that helped sell him on it. The whole thing only took about 3 hours. So I'm estimating 6-9 for the aviary? Which is nothing compared to the outdoor one that took weeks, lol. Anyway. What do you recommend for mesh? I don't like to go bigger than 1/2" for him, and he hates screen, but I'm not sure what material is easiest to attach to PVC (his outdoor aviary has 1/4" wire mesh, it's a wood frame so we stapled it in).

Edit -- I found hardware cloth, 1/2" mesh, 19-gauge, pretty cheaply online ($60 for double the amount I need). Thoughts? I'm thinking I can ziptie the mesh to the PVC?

Are we allowed to post outside links? I'd like to link one of the cages I found that looks similar to what I want to make -- I'm kind of confused about how it's built and of course there's no info, just the picture. :(

[Dragonlady2]

Try posting the link. As to the material, same mesh you are using on the outside cage? Would it be strong enough to keep him safe from the dogs?

[Lady]

As near as I can tell you are allowed to post a link or perhaps just use the picture icon. We do not allow pics of birds in an unsafe setting, meaning interacting or in a dangerous setting with other subjects that can potentially harm them. A pic of the cage you are considering would be okay.

This is a link to our Bird Safety policy in case you have any further questions: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

[kat]

I'm thinking basically this (link: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]), but bigger (wider). I found some instructions and I figure I'll modify the latch in front (so that it's actually a latch -- maybe a carribeaner setup?), but other than that, it looks ok? Yes?

Of course, Babs had to throw another kink in my plans. I took him to the vet for feather loss...I thought he was pulling them out from stress or something, but the vet said no, looks like they're just falling out and not coming back (it's only the face/head). His bloodwork came back with some anomalies, nothing conclusive. She recommended observing him and rechecking in a month or so if he's not doing better. Are there any adjustments I should be making to the cage for him? Like...I have no idea what, honestly. Lower perches or something?? But I figured I'd ask. She said his wing feathers are ok so it shouldn't affect his flight.

He's my first bird, and has never had more than a minor illness, so I'm flying totally blind and freaking out a little. I'm just imagining him faltering and slipping off a perch or something.

[Dragonlady2]

That cage looks fine and you should be able to make it any size you would like. You could use 1 or two rope perches if you are worried about him slipping off.
How odd that he is losing feathers like that. Did you take him to an avian vet?

[Lady]

Hey kat,

If I were you I would be doing a lot of research. I myself don't have any knowledge what it would be to have a Starling as a companion but hopefully someone here might. Perhaps there would be more information on a site like this one I found on the net, but don't leave us here. You have shined a light on a bird I know next to nothing about and would love to learn all about your journey with your sweet little Babs.

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

[Cedardave]

Be careful of the wire material you use,as galvanized wire can contribute to heavy metal poisoning.As for the feather loss...if it's only wing feathers and no where else it's not likely a moult.As mentioned this site is all about safety,so be sure your bigger dogs don't have access...maybe build a couple feet off the floor would be a good idea.Cabinets in my opinion are a bad idea as cages...while there are some beautiful ones..air circulation is lacking as well..you never know what sort of lacquer may leach into the enclosure.Next to the feather issue.My first thought when you mentioned your bird was discovered in a closet was that it's obviously a wild bird.A simple thing to try that is harmless and often a good solution is a drop or two of organic apple cider vinegar in the water bowl.If the feathers are just dropping out..it's possible there is a parasite involved...they hate the apple cider vinegar( the parasites..not the birds)Try it for a couple weeks and see if they start to regrow.If it's something more serious they may not come back.Please keep in mind I am not an avian veterinarian...but caregiver for a good number of birds..although no wild ones.Are there raw spots where the feathers have come out?A picture of the area would be helpful.Did the vet mention what sort of abnormalities?

[SparklyBirdPoo]

517051715172

This cage was given to me for free, and it was homemade by someone else. belonged to an elderly lady who died, and well always, the wood is so hard, my cockatiel couldn't even chew it even though he tried! lol. It does have some kind of coating. its got chicken wire. and a slide out tray for cleaning. the added on stuff like the perch on top, toys ect, was me. this cage did great for a long time. it was a quick fix in a pinch, cause my cockatiel came from a different family that no longer wanted him. i hope the pictures help :)