How To Build A Bird Cage

Many bird owners are curious and want to know how to build a bird cage by themselves for their lovely birds. For a start, forget all about chrome plated wire or split bamboo ornamental cage from your local pet shop - they are everything birdcage should not be - and worst of all are those tall skinny ones. Birds just do not fly vertically, except for quail, and because of this very habit they are no good in cages. Having said that, if you ever do need to keep one temporarily in a cage, make sure that the inside of the top is thickly padded with foam rubber. Once someone has been keeping animals for a while, cages of all shapes and sizes start to accumulate. In time, not only does the whole collection look untidy, but it is much harder to service, so if you are starting out and intend to keep more than a couple of birds, it is well worth considering building several identical bird cages at the same time. You can buy, or indeed make, blocks of nine or twelve cages as a single unit, but I consider that the same number of individual cages stacked together is a much more versatile arrangement.

Tips On How To Build A Bird Cage:

The size of your cage will be determined by what you intend to keep - after all, birds range from ostriches at one end to minuscule waxbill's at the other, but a useful all-round size is 91 cm(36 in) long by 30 cm (12 in) deep by 38 cm (15 in) high. Use plywood for the back, top, bottom and two ends. If you use thin plywood for all of them, you may end up having to add a frame-work. The best idea is to make the two ends of 1.25 cm (1/2 cm)ply, the top and bottom of 0.6 cm (1/4 in) and the back of 0.3 cm(1/8 in). Glue all edges that are going to meet and then nail the thing together, or, if you are more professional than I am, screw it together. Sandpaper any rough bits. For the front of the cage, you can either use weld mesh cut to size - 2.5 cm (1 in) by 1.25 cm ( 1/4 in)is the best for general use - or you can buy specially made cage fronts from dealers and the better pet shops. These are found in three types called 'Budgie', 'Canary' and 'Finch'. The major difference is the gaps between the bars, and unless you know exactly what the cage is going to be used for I suggest you buy 'Finch' fronts which are the narrowest. At this stage it is worth considering whether it is worth being able to partition the cage into two equal halves, and if you decide that it is, fix two pieces of beading on the floor and top of the inside, halfway along the length, and about0.6 cm (1/4 in) apart so that a dividing wall of hardboard or weld-mesh can be slid in if the need arises. If you do this you will also need to fix in place two vertical wooden bars in the front, between which to slide the partition.

When you cut the weld mesh for the front of the cage, or buy ready made cage fronts, their vertical measurements ought to be about 7.6 cm (3 in) less than the height of the cage. Place horizontal bar this distance from the floor, to which you will fix their bottom edges. Remember to cut the weld mesh in two if you have allowed for a partition or you will not be able to slide it in if it is in the way.

The next task to tackle is to make a tray for the cage floor that can slide in easily and simplifies the job of cage cleaning. If you have bought cage fronts you will find that they are fitted with doors. On the other hand if weld mesh is to be used it is far better to make a door in one end of the cage. The cage is now almost complete and needs to be carefully painted inside and out. Any gloss paint or emulsion will do as long as it is lead free, and the inhabitants will show up best if the inside is a light co lour and the outside and bars painted dark. I favor white and black but it is entirely a matter of choice.

Finally, when every part is completely dry, drill holes in the frame at the front of the cage to take the long wires on the cage fronts and slot them into place.

For covering the floors of cages I like clean, absorbent paper. Unused newsprint is perfect, and if there is a newspaper or magazine printer nearby you can pick up ends of rolls for a small outlay and they last for ages. If a thick wad of sheets the size of the cage floor are put in once a week when the cage is cleaned, one only needs to remove the top one or two each day to keep the interior tidy. I do not like sand and it gets in eyes and food and any cuts in the birds' feet. Sawdust is equally useless for all of these reasons, and if you use it on the floor of the birdcage, it fills the air like a snowstorm each time the bird flies.

If the cage is for anything that perches or climbs you are going to need perches. Forget about dowel; it is useless. It has no flexibility, and does not allow any exercise for the feet. Instead, find some twigs or branches, bark and all, from some non-poisonous tree -fruit trees are ideal - and wash them well to remove any pollution. When you cut them to size, remember that any forks may need to fit through the door of the cage. Replace them periodically when they have become dry and brittle, and while they are in use clean them every so often. If the cage is for a bird, put the perches as far apart as you can so that it gets as much exercise as possible, but not too close to the roof or the end of the cage, or the scalp or tail may get damaged. And, preferably, do not buy any bells, or plastic clowns, or any other such with which to clutter the cage. Depending on your animal you might very well need a sleeping box. This is best made of plywood and, provided it has a large enough entrance and is of adequate size there ought to be no problems. Place it at the back of the cage for security: if animalism arboreal fix it in a top corner; if it is terrestrial put the box on the floor.

Building Cage Accessories

All that remains now is to equip the cage with food and water pots. These can be made of anything provided they are easy to clean, will not tip up and are animal proofs. For most animals Atwater bottle clipped on the outside of the cage, with the nozzle Gina convenient place for the inhabitant, if often best since a dish of water often seems to result in the cage floor ending up awash. If you are intending to keep rodents, do not be tempted to buy one of those awful metal cages that pet shops sell for mice and hamsters. They are very small and can be absolutely lethal. I have seen a gerbil literally cut its throat on a sharp edge in one of those things. Wood is perfectly all right for rodents - though it is as well not to use very thin wood - provided that there are no edges or corners for them to get their teeth around. In time, all rodent cages end up a bit chewed, but a proper hole is very unusual.

Alternatively, small rodents can be kept in aquariums; with suitable weld mesh lid they are ideal. But do make sure that a dories provided so that the whole top is not lifted off at each feed, and that the lid cannot be easily lifted off by the animal which lives in the tank. For rodents, I find that shredded newsprint is best for the floor and for bedding, and several paper mache egg boxes and small cardboard tubes make great adventure playgrounds. You will also have to supply a sleeping chamber and some suitable pots for food and water. You can try an exercise wheel some animals love them and others just do not want to know .Whatever else you do, though, resist the impulse to buy a hamster ball - a transparent plastic globe in which you incarcerate the poor beast which then rolls it around the floor as he walks about inside. They are nasty things which ought to be banned. So here we end the explanation on how to build a bird cage. Just before going for building you must take into account the place for it.

When you are thinking about where to put your cage, always bear in mind that to most household pets you are the size of the Empire State Building, and thus can be very frightening. Therefore, try and put your cage so that it is as near face height as possible. This way there are much less likely to be panic stricken dashes for cover each time you are around. Another point to remember is that it is not a good idea to keep rodents in your bedroom. They spend all night thundering around in their exercise wheel or rustling about while they burrow. It can be very wearing.