Reddit mentions: The best birdcages & accessories

Hi there! Parakeets are so misunderstood. Depending on how you train and raise them, they can act like a fun cuddly dog, or like a boring fish. If you want him to be a fun exciting pet, here's what you should do:

1.) Week 1, don't touch him. It's tempting to reach in there, but don't do it. He's scared as hell of being dropped into a new environment and you will only add to him being scared. Trust me on this, it gives him time to get used to the natural noises of your house. Instead, go about your normal routine around him, but stop and talk to him and get him used to your voice.

2.) After 1 week, start putting your hands into the cage - and by this I mean literally just putting your hand in and fiddling with things, getting them close to him, but don't touch him. This establishes that the cage is yours and he's just living in it. It will help with respect a lot later. Partway through 2nd week, work on getting him to climb onto your finger. Place your finger directly in front of his belly and say "up." If he does it, put him back on the perch, praise him, and give him some millet as a treat. Do this over and over. Birds LOVE repetition. Once he seems comfortable with this (about week of doing this), use this same method to take him out. Once you get to this point he will be more comfortable with the idea of hanging out with you.

3.) There are pros and cons of having his wings clipped. I've always clipped my bird's wings and that would be my recommendation (it doesn't hurt if a professional does it, it's like a haircut). So I won't give any advice on this except that you should definitely take into consideration if he has a safe enough environment to NOT clip his wings. If you do let him fly around your garage, make sure you "baby proof" it just like you would with a child, but vertically as well. Tools will need to be put away, check for holes or places he could crawl into where you won't be able to get to him.

4.) See #3.

5.) Parakeets are perfectly fine being alone during the day. Make sure he has 3-4 toys in his cage and that you rotate them every 1-2 weeks so he doesn't get bored. When you get home, give him attention. Aim for at least 30min of complete attention per day at a minimum. If no one in the house is home during the day, put the radio or TV on, they like the noise. Speaking of, they LOVE being the center of attention, I'd recommend you put him in a high traffic area of the house if you can.

6.) I have a very well trained parakeet and haven't been able to potty train. What you can do is try treating him for pooping inside the cage before he comes out which helps. You can expect he will go every 10 min or so. You can always pt a towel down anywhere you take him out if it bothers you.

7.) I wouldn't worry about it, he can probably get to it just fine especially since his wings aren't clipped.

8.) I agree with @FlyingPhotog for this. Also recommend searching google for foods that are ok and poisonous for birds. Giving him some human foods can extend his life.

9.) Additional tips:

-Be careful of drafts. Birds are sensitive to cold air blowing on them. Keep his area a consistent temperature and put a towel over the cage at night (this will also help with noise btw, they are pretty good about sleeping whenever it's dark.)

-Be careful of harmful chemicals. Any pesticides, air fresheners, candles nearby can be harmful

-Don't let him out if anyone is cooking. Seems self explanatory, but most bird deaths are caused by them flying into boiling pots of water because their owners were careless :-(

-Cages: Stupidly, every goddam pet store on the planet sells cages with vertical bars (like this:https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-Triple-Cockatiel-White/dp/B005S6V4QK/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1468628422&sr=1-2&keywords=parakeet+cage), but they very much prefer the horizontal bars (like this: https://www.amazon.com/Vision-Bird-Cage-Model-M01/dp/B000K67UF2). It will be harder to find but it is much easier for them to climb. I found my Vision one at PetSmart. This particular one also helps keep seeds in.

-I also totally recommend you put pellets on the bottom of the cage (like this http://www.petsmart.com//WFS/PETUS/en_US/-/USD/-zid36-4226/cat-0-catid-0?green=F0B73A16-ADD9-5A58-9BE0-EA09D3A310B1). It's something I've started doing within the last year and it's helped a ton with keeping the area around the cage clean.

-Get him comfortable with you before you have other people hold him

-Be confident. I'm not sure how they do it, but it always seems birds can tell if the person handling them is not confident and they will act up. It's like racing any other animal, you show them you're in charge and they'll respect you for it

-Give him kisses and chat with him. He'll start to chat back. Parakeets won't talk like big parrots do, but they do "chat" and repeat things you say. It's so cute.

Have fun! Parakeets make for fun, adorable, and convenient pets if you put the time in. Love him and he will love you back! Good luck!

I exceeded the character limit so here's the continuation haha.


Since Im in Europe, I use the european equivalent which is this cage. The only downside is that not all the bars are horizontal, but its enough for the ratties. I just struggle a teensy bit more hanging some decorations but its not a big deal since I at least have some horizontal bars! If youre in europe, this is a wonderful cage to have.


Here's some other cages if youre looking to keep 2-3 ratties:


3 rats max in my opinion, even though the calculator says up to 4 with 2.5 cubic feet per rat

This cage is good for around 3 ratties


3 ratties too


This is a giant cage and looks really awesome, I would get this one if only it had the fully opening double doors! This cage cant fit around 10-12 rats


2-3 ratties


2 ratties but the triple version can keep around 4


Those are just some examples and rough guides to go by. Another important thing is you want the floor of the cage to be solid, not wire. If your cage has a wire floor, cover it with tiles, linoleum or cardboard.


You want to include hammocks and hiding places in the cage - rats prefer to sleep and chill out in cozy dark hidey holes. Lots of people here love Savic Sputniks, and I have to agree that they are fantastic. All my ratties love them so much that I had to get one separate Savic for each or else they'd be fighting over them! You can buy them on amazon or here. If you cant find any good results on amazon, try searching for Space Pod instead. It's the same thing.


Ratties also need to chew, so try to get them some pet-safe, untreated wooden toys for them. These are also great, they're like perches made of pumice stone that the ratties can climb on and chew to file down their nails and teeth (this is important as rat teeth continue to grow constantly, so the ratties NEED to chew on stuff to file them down). Because rats chew so much, they will chew through plastic and wood on cages. This is why you ideally want to pick out an all metal cage, although this is a bit hard since most cages are plastic with metal bars. I dont have this issue as my rats dont chew anything in their cage besides their chew toys. People usually buy metal trays to fit into their cages instead of the plastic platforms provided. You can look into this, but I'd say just observe your ratties and if they're not chewing too much on the plastic shelves, I wouldnt worry about it until you have to replace the shelves (if it even comes to that). That's why you wanna provide them with plenty of chewing toys, so they dont feel the need to chew on anything else but at the end of the day, ratties are ratties lol


If you search for "boredom breakers" on amazon or any online pet shop, you'll get a good selection of toys and things to hang around the cage to keep the ratties occupied. DONT get your rats wheels though, as wheels tend to be bad for rats' backs since they're designed for smaller animals like hamsters, mice etc. If you find a huge wheel designed for degus, you can get that for your rats. Just make sure it's solid, not wire and big enough that the rat can run in it without bending its back.


As for bedding, here's a good site explaining different types of bedding, what is and isn't safe etc. If you buy a cage with deep pans, you can choose a loose bedding, like shredded paper or hemp. Most people dont though since the loose bedding tends to fly out and your floor gets very messy. This is why a lot of people opt to use fleece. You can buy cheap fleece and cut it to size to line your cage platforms and floor. You want to put an absorbent material under the fleece though, as the fleece lets any liquids though and the cage will get smelly very quickly. If you put something absorbent underneath, the smell wont build up so much. I use puppy pads and layer paper towels on top, then line with fleece. I dont notice any smells for around 5-7 days. You wanna clean the cage around once or twice a week, it depends on your ratties. Just change all the bedding out, put any hammocks and fabrics in the wash, wipe the shelves and platforms down etc. I use vinegar mixed with water to clean everything out since it gets rid of the smell of urine really well. Then I wipe it down with some water, dry everything and line with puppy pads, paper towels and fleece. I use binder clips to hold the fleece in place. You wanna give the cage a big wash around once a month (spray it down with water, do 10 parts water to 1 part bleach and soak platforms and any solid components for a few minutes in hot water etc.) Spot cleaning should be done every day - this means picking up any loose poops or pieces of food and throwing that out. Just small cleaning like that, it takes like 1 minute.


Paper towels, cardboard, shredded paper etc. is also great to put in their cage in general since they love to tear it and carry it to their favorite sleeping spot to make it all cozy! It's really cute and fun to watch.


Lastly, vet funds. Make sure you have an exotic vet, or at least one familiar with rats. Always keep a vet fund since illnesses in rats can just flare up out of nowhere sometimes.


Rats are born with these bacteria called mycoplasma pulmonis. Some rats can live their whole lives with zero flare ups, but most get sick at least once or twice in their lifetime. You know that theyre sick if they start sneezing a lot more than normal, their breathing is audible or even loud, they get porphyrin discharge around their eyes and nose (this is red colored so dont worry, its not blood if you ever see it. Porphyrin discharge is normal first thing after a rat wakes up though, so dont worry if you see it. Its only if its there a lot more, or in bigger amounts than normal that you should be concerned). Some rats are sick with it all their lives and are constantly on and off antibiotics. That's the case with one of my boys. He's got it so bad that unfortunately we can only keep it in control and prevent it from getting worse, but he's sick all the time. Poor baby is only 4 months old.


Ratties generally have very delicate respiratory systems, so its important not to have them around any harsh smells, dusty bedding/places, wind droughts etc.


Rats also can get mites easily, so make sure whenever you buy any pet safe untreated wood, that you still put it in your freezer for 24-48 hours just to be safe and kill off anything that could be there. Same goes for any fleece bedding or other fabrics, especially if they weren't packaged in airtight plastic packaging.



I know this is A LOT of info but Im still sure I missed something! Others on here will definitely fill in any blanks that I missed though lol


Enjoy your babies, cherish every moment with them, love them and spoil them! They'll bring you so much joy and happiness. Theyre wonderful pets and I hope you have an amazing time and many wonderful experiences with them. Good luck and update us when you get them! This sub is generally very supportive and positive, so if you have any other questions then always feel free to come here and ask! Have fun :)

I get all my fleece from JoAnn stores. They often have fleece at 50% off per yard, so you can buy it in bulk and use it as needed. Any large fabric store will have lots of fleece in stock (I just prefer JoAnn because that's the best one I have in the area I live in). I'm sure you know this already, but just in case, please don't use cedar or pine chips as bedding for your rats; it's harmful to them. You can use fleece or aspen chip bedding (but freeze the aspen for 48 hours prior to use to make sure it's free of parasites).

I buy many rat toys on Amazon, and make some myself. If you're buying any kind of wooden rat toy, do be aware that many of them are made from soft woods like pine and cedar, which are super bad for rat respiratory systems. Hardwood toys are usually safe—just make sure it's not a combination wood that also has pine or cedar in it along with the hardwood. I personally do not buy wood toys on amazon, because the products often don't list what kind of wood they're made of. The only wood product I buy on Amazon is bags of untreated apple branch chewing sticks. I'll link you to some rat-safe toys and accessories I buy on amazon below! :)

Kaytee Lava Ledge
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00176F466/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

15" Chin Spin - Small Animal Exercise Wheel - Handmade in USA (Expensive, but it's the very best and safest wheel for rats.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GJ6SDBQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bright Starts Lots of Links Accessory Toy (Great for hanging things up in the cage.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ABZGU2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

Small Animal Activity Toy Cotton Rope Net For Rat and Ferret Pet Bed for Parrot and Hamster Parrot
https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Activity-Cotton-Ferret-Hamster/dp/B0777NWKT9/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1519011945&sr=1-2&keywords=rat+rope+net

Kaytee Igloo Hideout, Large
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068K132/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ACCO Binder Clips, Medium, 2 Boxes, 12/Box (A7072050) (If using fleece as the bedding/liner in your cage, this helps to secure fleece to the Critter Nation pans.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TQ8FDB8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap - Baby Unscented, 32oz. (I don't use any scented products with my rats since rat respiratory systems are so fragile, so this is the non-scented liquid soap I use to wash my hands and their non-fabric toys.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DAI76TC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pawliss Teeth Grinding Lava Block for Hamster Chinchilla Rabbit
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HGHA6VW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Aspen/Booda Corporation BBX56134 Byrdy Cable Cross Bird Toy, Medium
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WRHTG6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

200g(7oz) Apple Sticks Pet Snacks Chew Toys for Guinea Pigs Chinchilla Squirrel Rabbits Hamster(About 50-70 Sticks) by MAIYUAN (The only wood product I buy on Amazon.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WLL641Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ware Manufacturing Fun Tunnels Play Tube for Small Pets (Medium.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LUMU9M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ware Manufacturing Plastic Scatterless Lock-N-Litter Small Pet Pan- Colors May Vary (Regular size, not jumbo.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SLICDA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

JW Comfy Perch for Birds (Large, 36".)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AR754/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lixit Critter Space Pod 2 Large (You can hand these on the ceiling of the Critter Nation. My boys LOVE these!)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002X2NBNQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lixit Lbg-16 Glass Small Animal Bottle 16 Oz (16oz is always best for rats because of the bigger water spout. I've found that smaller bottles are a struggle for my boys to get water out of, so I only use the small ones for rat carriers/transporter cages. Tip: filtered water is best for rats, so if you can, get a Britta water filter.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WYCFK0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yummy Time Tiny Small Stoneware Pet/Dog Bowl
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAUMYDC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I buy Harlan Teklad (Envigo) food blocks for my rats, which is one of the top two for rats (the other is Oxbow Regal Rat). Harland Teklad is hard to find though, so I buy mine through this animal rescue:
http://weecompanions.org/healthy-food

If you get these blocks, freeze them to extend their shelf life, and take them out from the freezer as needed to fill your ratties' bowls. Harlan Teklad is great because they have several formulas for rats based on their age, which is super helpful for their health. Young rats up to 8 months usually eat Harlan Teklad 2016 (16% protein), and after 8 months they eat Harlan Teklad 2014 (14% protein).

Also, I don't have a link for this, but the best laundry detergents to use to wash your rats' cloth toys or bedding with is one that's non-scented and is sensitive on skins.

Um, if I think of anything else, I'll add it. But for now, it's already a ton. :P Enjoy!

(And feel free to message me if you have any questions!)

Gonna pick this apart bit by bit:

> my girlfriend and I

Who you share a living space with is the first important factor in this decision - is it just you two (any kids/pets?)? And is your relationship pretty low-drama and stable enough that separating wouldn't feasibly be on the table? Reasons there are noise and bonds: noisy environments (crying kid, barking dog, arguing couple etc) are super stressful for a bird, which can lead to (expensive) health problems with it. Your bird will also reciprocate that noise with its own squawks, which makes those situations all the more maddening. Regarding the bond - if you only get one bird, it will bond to you and your GF. If the two of you then separate, your bird will essentially lose a third of it's flock, which they tend not to handle very well (queue the stress/health problems).

> looking to get a cockatiel. ... it's the kind bird we enjoy a lot. So we're kinda set on those already.

Different species have very different personalities - what is it you like a cockatiels? While those generally are recommended as a somewhat more forgiving species for inexperienced owners (they're a good option), there might be better options for you specifically, depending on what you're looking for in a bird.

> We want one because we'd like to have it chat with us ... and be able to talk back to it.

Cockatiels aren't great talkers. Something like this is about the best talking I've seen a cockatiel do. They kind of warble moreso than talk - they get the syllables right, but the annunciation is only really good enough to tell what they're trying to say. Mostly cockatiels just whistle - they can do that pretty well!

Also, if you're going for speech, you'll want to make sure you get a male. Female cockatiels are much quieter, and don't do near as much mimicking. You might get the occasional whistle out of a female, but they generally just chirp or stay silent. That said, birds are very much individuals - you could end up with a quiet male or noisy female, but in general, you'll want a male for chatting. (to my knowledge, that applies to parrots in general, not just 'tiels).

Also, talking generally takes a lot of time to develop. For conures, which are a bit smarter than 'tiels, they don't generally start talking until they're around 4 years old, so 'tiels might take even longer.

I had three cockatiels growing up - two females that only ever chirped; and a male who'd never shut the hell up (he'd wolf whistle. all. day. long.) ...all three were rescues though, so no idea how old they were.

If you want a parrot that talks, the larger ones are the way to go - African Greys, or Macaws, for example, can develop actual vocabularies -- i.e., they can learn what "food" means, and actually ask for it when they're hungry; whereas most parrots can learn to say the word "food" but it's just mimicry (they have no clue what they're actually saying). Buuuut I definitely DO NOT recommend getting one of those as a starting bird. Train those wrong and it could cost you a finger. Speaking for myself (having spent my entire life around small to medium sized parrots) even I wouldn't feel comfortable getting a Grey or Macaw without a lot of supervision from a professional breeder or trainer.

> and get used to us enough so we can have it sit on our shoulder

Just about any bird can be trained to do that. Generally the larger the bird, the more intelligent (and therefore trainable) it is. Even parakeets/budgies (the smallest [and dumbest] species of parrot) can be fairly easily trained to do that. Hell I've even seen finches (not parrots, but basically a standard cotton ball with feet and a beak) do that.


> I don't think we'll be permitted to keep one in this apartment.

In my experience, apartments are really inconsistent when it comes to birds. Some places (even if they accept cats and dogs) will outright refuse to permit a bird; others couldn't care less, and don't even consider it a 'pet' when it comes to monthly pet fees. Others will allow them, but charge a ridiculous fee for it. Definitely check with your landlord.

> we're looking to get a single bird. ... Will it get lonely? We'll be working about 6 to 8 hours a workday but elsewise we're usually home.

It will. You can offset that with a good cage setup and making sure to keep some music or something on when you're gone to keep it entertained.

Regarding the cage, beware of bullshit. I've heard MANY pet stores recommend "two times its wingspan" is the standard to shoot for with size. THAT IS NOT ENOUGH SPACE! It needs to be able to actually fly a bit within the cage.

I'd recommend something like this as a minimum. Or something like this this if you really want to give it a mansion (bugs me that the second one says says it's suitable for a macaw. that's way too small for a macaw.).

Keep plenty of toys in the cage, but not so many that it doesn't have room to fly. Also make sure perch size is suitable for its feet; but that the perches vary in size a bit so it's not always grabbing the same diameter (can lead to health issues).

Make a habit of opening the cage as soon as one of you gets home. Let the bird decide when it wants to chill out in it vs on your shoulder (once it gets to know you, it will prefer your shoulder 99% of the time), but the only time it should be locked in is when no one's home to supervise it, or overnight, etc.

> Thirdly (is that a word?), what is the right thing to do in the beginning when we have the space and permission? Do we contact the first and foremost store, or do we contact private breeders? We'd like a young one, preferably as young as legally able, since I think it's easier to make it get used to us, but is that correct?

Couple approaches here, and I'll start with the one you didn't mention, which is finding a rescue (parrot that was previously owned by someone else, and for whatever reason needs a new home). This can be risky, since you don't know how the previous owner treated/trained it, but if you can find one that was brought up well (if it's sociable and not aggressive/bitey) then that can be a great option, since the bird needs a home anyway, and you won't have to train it from scratch. Just make sure you have an opportunity to get to know the bird (and it you!) before committing to it: training away bad behavior that's been set in for years is almost impossible. Check with your local humane society and vet clinics to get insight on local options for parrot rescues.

Next up is a breeder. You're correct that the younger you can get a bird, the better - it'll have a much stronger bond/trust with you the closer you can get it from the egg. Baby birds require a lot of specialty care though, you you'll probably need to wait until its "weened" before the breeder is willing to send it home with you (infact if they don't require that, they're a shitty breeder - find another). During the weening process, they'll probably permit you to visit the bird - if you do this a couple times a week, it'll be used to you before you bring it home, which makes the transition MUCH easier for it.

Now-a-days, a lot of breeders have deals set up with specialty pet stores, so you might have a hard time finding a breeder; so another option is to buy from those specialty stores. If you happen to live near Virginia Beach, there's a local option I'd highly recommend called "Pet Paradise". If you don't live near Virginia Beach, thumb through the photos in that link and you'll get a good idea of the kind of store you're looking for. Open 'pens' (as opposed to closed cages) help a ton with getting the bird socialized with humans, and shows that the folks who run the store actually know how to handle parrots. Additionally, places like this often provide free services (nail trims and such) following purchase of one of their birds.

Places you DO NOT want to get a bird from are generic pet stores like PetCo. They pretty much just pick up a haul of birds from the lowest bidder, throw them in a cage with like 20 other birds, and leave them there with no human interaction until a customer comes to purchase one. Socializing those birds, and establishing a bond/trust with it can be VERY difficult, and take months or more.

 

(hit the character limit - breaking post in half)

Errmygerd I seriously can't handle the tiny banana beaks. :D Kevin's was equally nubby and derpy back then and I miss it!

Anyway, congrats on the new addition! I love seeing people take the plunge into aracari/softbill ownership. Based on our experiences with Kevin these last three years I can offer some tips and tricks. None of these are not hard and fast rules, just things that we have settled on after lots of trial-and-error. :P

Mess.

1. Don't own carpet. Or cloth furniture, or fancy rugs. Trust me when I say blueberry poops do not come out of anything! We even have wood furniture and windowsills that are now permanently stained. D:
   
   
2. Honestly, I've toyed with the idea of sort sort of plexiglass panels since we got Kevin. In the end, we still use a sheet. After all this time I haven't found visibility to be an issue (in fact, you can see in this video how we leave sections pulled back at the top for Kevin's "lookout" positions). Maybe it's just because his cage is usually located in a corner anyway, or against the wall. However if you plan to put the cage in front of a window or something instead I could see a problem.
   
   The benefits of a sheet, for us at least, are its ease of cleaning (just throw it in the wash once a month) and how it keeps things in the cage or off the floor (you can wrap the bottom of the sheet up around the legs of the cage to create a "pouch" that catches falling poops, tossed food, and water that's being splashed around). Speaking of water, keeping acrylic nice and water spot free could be a challenge if your girl turns out to be anything like Kevin. He bathes daily and each time makes sure to completely drain his bowl.
   
   Though if you are really super turned off by the idea another option is hanging something like a curtain behind the cage against the wall. Or even lining your walls with the acrylic/plexiglass. Finally, if you do decide to cover the actual cage with acrylic panels be cognizant of good air flow.
   
   Food.
   
   
3. I don't use a fruit chopper so can't recommend one. But I also don't think I ever will simply because I've found that all of Kevin's fruit should not be cut the same. I don't know if he's just naturally picky or spoiled, but just like a parrot he will make it very apparent when something is not "acceptable". Super soft fruits like kiwi, banana, or papaya are chopped into 3/4'' sq pieces to help maintain their integrity. Medium-soft foods like fruit gel, steamed squash, grapes, cherries, or cucumber are chopped into 1/4 - 1/2'' cubes. Hard foods like apple are cut into tiny 1/8'' pieces (about the same size as a dry pellet). It is worth experimenting with your own bird to see what they prefer. I know I only started customizing fruit sizes when I noticed Kevin awkwardly trying to beak and choke down big chunks of apple. Nowadays, if something is too unwieldy he will just toss it out of his bowl. Especially since I hate wasting such expensive food, I just suck it up and do what the birdie overlord demands. :)
   
   
4. Supplements. I'm usually not a huge fan of a gazillion different supplements because I find it easier and less stressful to just ensure our birds are eating a good, well-rounded pelleted diet. But with Kevin, I make an exception. My main supplement is decaf black tea, which Kevin receives instead of water 3x/week and as a substitute for water in his fruit gel/pellets. Black tea is chock full of tannins that actually chelate iron and help prevent its absorption. So the tea is an additional effort to stave off iron-storage disease.
   
   I also feed him fresh greens once or twice a week and a little dab of palm/coconut oil mixed into his food every day. The greens are necessary because he seems to crave something fibrous without them and the oil I keep doing because his plumage has only gotten better and better over the years and I can't imagine it hurts.
   
   General Advice?
   
   
5. The X-Large prevue hendryx flight cage is what we use for Kevin. It's what I would consider the minimum size for a single green aracari (with at least a few hours of outside time per day), lightweight, mobile, and very affordable. Easy to roll out onto the driveway for a good hosing down, and has stood up to weekly scrubbings very well. When we got it originally I was looking for something easy to move around and within budget, since you know how expensive just the bird can be! But if I were to do it all over again and really go all out I would probably splurge on an A&E or HQ double flight cage. Of course, my true love is a walk-in indoor aviary (something like this) because as you will soon realize these guys can and will use every inch of space you give them.
   
   
6. Kevin's adores toys that jingle, jangle, and rattle. Anything hard plastic or metal. His all time favorite is the "Mug Tug" from ABirdToy. You can see him in action here. :P Other good toys are ones that allow your aracari to forage. Kevin gets a fruit skewer with papaya pretty regularly. We also have some PVC tubs and wooden boards drilled with holes that we can stuff shredded paper and blueberries into.
   
   Whew, now that's a wall of text. Anyway, enjoy your new baby! Cherish the nub-beak and big ol' black baby eyes while you can :)

Sorry about your dog.

Bedding: The purpose of some sort of bedding material is to absorb urine and odors and to minimize your pets' contact with their own waste. Some people use fabric to cover the levels and/or floor of their cage. The benefits of this is it's reusable and there's less waste but fabric is crap at controlling odors so needs to be washed very regularly (every few days) and some rats destroy it pretty quickly. Loose substrates are generally better at absorbing urine and odors/ammonia but can be a little messier and create more waste. Personally, I use a combination of a loose substrate (aspen shavings) on the floor of the cage and fleece mats with an absorbent inner layer on the platforms of the cage.

There are lots of loose substrate bedding options but the main things you want to look for are good absorbency, good odor/ammonia control, as little dust as possible, fragrance free, and low cost. Nothing gets 10s across the board so sometimes it just takes some experimentation to figure out what works best for you, your rats, their cage, and your lifestyle. Some good options I've used include fragrance free paper pellet litter (bags made for cats are sometimes cheaper), "crumbled" paper litter, soft paper substrates like Carefresh or Clean & Cozy, and aspen or kiln-dried pine shaving. You can also just cover the floor with sheets of paper and they'll have a blast shredding it up and carrying it all over the cage. Blank newsprint is pretty cheap at the hardware store and you wouldn't have to worry about inks. Paper would get gross quickly and would need to be changed very often.

Food: The most widely available recommended pellet food is Oxbow. You can get it at PetSmart stores but it's cheaper on Amazon or Chewy. Oxbow is generally free fed (always available) but it's good to supplement it with fresh veggies and/or a little bit of a grain/seed mix every few days. Other recommended pellet options are Envigo Teklad (also available on Amazon - 2014 formula for adult rats and 2018 formula for juveniles) and Mazuri. For nutritional balance reasons, you might want to make sure that 70-80% of their diet is the pellet and 20-25% is supplemental. This equals out to only about 4 to 7 grams of supplemental stuff daily, per rat.

Cage Accessories: For the most part, you can fill the cage with literal garbage and your rats will be happy. You don't really need to spend any money to make a cage fun for your rats. I try my best to avoid purchasing overpriced pet-store items. You can use cardboard boxes from the recycle bin, ropes and small baskets and bins from the basement, thrift shop, or dollar store, scraps cut from old clothes strung up with paper clips as make-shift hammocks, etc. The hardware store is also a good place to find fun cage items. A cluttered cage is a good cage. I like to have as many hammocks and hides as I have rats so they can all have their own spaces if they want to be alone. It's good to have at least a couple sets of hammocks because they need to be washed frequently. I wash all fabric cage items 2 to 3 times a week. Cardboard and paper items get tossed weekly because they also start to smell awful.

While you don't need to spend any money on accessories, there are some things that are worth their weight in gold. Space Pods are wonderful. I drill a hole in the bottom of them so pee drains out. Lava ledges are good for keeping nails trim and when strategically placed, they can be used instead of those stupid ramps. I love bendy rope perches, they're great for creating "steps" to higher hammocks and stuff.

Here's a thought- does your friend like birds?

Because if she can afford it, something like this with a little flock of small birds wouldn't be an obvious attempt at deterring the MIL, but it TOTALLY would.

• Enough people are weirdly afraid of birds that there's a reasonable chance the MIL wouldn't want to sleep in the same room as a flock of birds.
  
  
• According to my mom, birds have a "smell" to them no matter how often you clean. (I have no sense of smell so I'm taking her word for it.) This bothers some people.
  
  
• Birds are LOUD in the morning if you don't cover the cage. (Sometimes even when you cover the cage, tbh.) But small birds like budgies and finches wouldn't be so loud that they'd wake up people sleeping in another room if you kept the doors shut. So while staying in the guest room would be unpleasant, it wouldn't be a problem for Friend and her SO.
  
  
• Birds get seed shells everywhere if seeds are offered as food. (Pellet diets are favored by most bird enthusiasts these days because they're less fattening, and supposedly more nutritionally complete.) Spray millet, which birds LOVE, is especially bad. Friend can just give her little flock a treat every time MIL's over. And oh look, now there are seed shells all over the floor. That's just part of living with birds. Hope MIL wasn't planning on going barefoot during her stay, because those seeds WILL get in her bed sheets.
  
  
• Birds will get feathers all over a room even if you clean. (Seriously, I haven't had my birds living in my bedroom in years and I still find little down feathers in things sometimes.) It's a part of bird ownership and if you love birds it's worth it. But it can make a guest room... unpleasant if that's not your thing.
  
  
• Birds produce a sort of white dust. This white dust is easily wiped/vacuumed up, but like the feathers it gets everywhere. All you have to do is "forget" to vacuum the bird room whenever MIL is there, and suddenly extended stays are a lot less pleasant.
  
  I'd recommend either budgies or finches. Budgies are more sociable and really should be allowed to fly around a room (although for 4-6 budgies in a huge flight cage like the one I'm suggesting, that wouldn't be super necessary.) Finches are pretty hands-off, you mostly just keep them fed, clean their cage, and let them do their own thing.
  
  (I swear I actually really love birds. I've had budgies since I was four. They're awesome little animals that are pretty easy to tame/care for. But they aren't for everyone, and that can be used to your advantage.)

Like others have said; larger cage with smaller bar spacing, more toys. Find out what kind of toys your cockatiels like, they're all different and have preferences but most cockatiels will love shreddable toys.

This is the cage I have for my cockatiel that I would personally recommend:
https://www.amazon.ca/Vision-Bird-Cage-Model-Large/dp/B0012DOXFW

Don't have perches placed above food dishes to avoid droppings in food/water. Careful on giving them full millet sticks, doing this frequently can lead to obesity pretty quick. Get a variety of perches that have different sizes, shapes, and materials to avoid foot problems. Avoid plastic perches.

Assuming they're male and female, you'll need to make sure the female is especially well nourished and avoids calcium-binding food like spinach. Calcium is very important for female cockatiels. Always have a cuttlebone available for them in the cage.

After they settle in an start feeling comfortable, start to ween them on pellets. There's a lot of online resources that can give you in-depth tips on how to do this. Also feed them vegetables; whether it's through shredding up kale or other veggies into their seed, or hand feeding them broccoli, they need their vegetables. I personally make a large blend of shredded vegetables and seeds monthly that I freeze, portion, and serve. It's called "chop", and would recommend looking into it later. Never completely cut seeds out of your cockatiel's diet, once they're on a healthy pellet and veggie diet, they should still get fed seed a couple times a week or so.

Be sure to check out some of the great resources others have linked in here. There's a lot to know, like the list of safe foods. Otherwise, congratulations on your two feathered friends and feel free to ask any questions!

Edit: cage recommendation.

This cage is great value for the price, if you can afford it. It has the added bonus of being eligible for Amazon Prime. Even if you don't have it, sign up for the 30-day free trial so you can get it in a couple of days.

Regarding food, Harrison's makes organic pellets. My board-certified avian vet strongly recommends Harrison's and my birds love it. There are guidelines regarding conversion on the package itself. My birds were never on a seed diet but I did have to convert them from ZuPreem's colored pellets (side note: don't give them that, the artificial coloring and added sugars are bad. I didn't know at the time.).

I switched them cold turkey after making them some Birdie Bread. Harrison's sells a mix online that you can prepare at home. They loved it and I think the pellets smell similar, so they had no issues converting.

For fruits/veggies/etc, I had to teach my sun conure to eat them. The method I found most effective = eating whatever I want her to eat and pretending it is the most delicious thing EVER. Take a bite out of that carrot stick and make the most overexaggerated ecstatic sounds/expressions you can. Don't offer them a piece til they come over to investigate, then let them have a bite or put it in a treat dish.

For toys: mysafebirdstore.com has great prices on toy parts. Drs. Foster and Smith are another online company that occasionally has good deals. I'm wary of buying toys at pet stores due to the risk of disease transmission. Petsmart had a huge issue with psittacosis, which is transmissible to humans as well as birds.

For taming, start by spending time near them. Carry on reading/working/watching TV/whatever in the same room with them. Leave the door open to see if they want to come hang out with you. Offer them sunflower seeds or millet from your hands. This process may take a while (weeks to months, maybe longer), especially since they are already bonded.

Congrats on your new feathered friends. It looks like they've found their way into a wonderful home.

Clicker training is supposed to be great though I'm too lazy to work on it. /u/cpxh would be a good resource for that.

Do you have a rough budget? also im sorry for the novel
The typical and most suggested cage is a critter nation (a single can work for 2 or 3). You can sometimes find them or similar cages on craigslist, or find them cheaper on other sites.
You can also use several Martin brands, here's a breakdown of all of the versions you can get.. I've heard that they can be a bit annoying to clean, since most of them only have one door that opens, as compared to the critter nation with its double doors, but they're a reliable cage.
You could probably even use a Petco or Petsmart brand one, such as the Rat Manor, but that only holds 2 rats. So if you wanted to expand your mischief, you'd need an upgrade.
The most important thing at the moment is that they cant escape.
This is a good cage in general but the bar spacing is good for younger rats, and its a bit bigger than a single critter nation.
Here's a general listing of good cages for rats as well. but make sure to do your own research on them, as they suggest the aquarium topper which isnt a good one. The bar spacing needs to be at least 1/2" for babies.

• The most suggested food is oxbow if youre in the USA. you're also going to have to feed them a small portion of fresh fruits and veggie every other day or so (but you can also give cheerios and stuff as treats, they can eat almost anything tbh).
  
  
• they're going to need hides, hammocks, toys etc. you can usually make them yourself with fleece, some sewing, or cardboard boxes. Many bird toys and small animal advertised toys and stuff are fine.
  
  
• decide what kind of bedding youre going to use. If youre going to use loose bedding like this, consider getting a cage with a deep pan. If you're going to use fleece, consider if you're going to litter train them or not, or sew absorbent liners. Most people recommend fleece.
  
  
• rats need to chew because their teeth grow forever. so theyre going to need wood toys or lava ledges.
  
  Here are some good cages.. Just to give you an idea.
  They will need to see the vet at least a few times in its life. So be prepared to find an exotics vet and start saving. Imo, you dont need to take them like you would a dog, once a year or whatever, but if they start breathing funny or get hurt it's difficult to treat that kind of stuff by yourself.
  uuuuuuuuuuuu its usually cheaper to buy food and stuff in store so find a pet supplies plus, or a petco/smart. You're also going to need to clean the cage about once a week or so. You can use a small animal cage cleaner such as Nature's Miracle, or use a dilute mix of vinegar and water.
  And yes, you're going to need a friend if you decide to keep them.
  I think that's a good basic rundown of what you're gonna need eventually. If you dont deck them out like immediately they'll live, so theres no huge rush.
  Oh, and keep an eye on their health. make sure their breathing is fine and that they dont have lice or fleas (they'll have a lot of scabs on their ears and shoulders and tail). Rats are very prone to respiratory infections.

Keep checking up on lost bird websites and your local animal shelters. If it's someone's pet, they've lost one of their best friends.

But that being said, I applaud you for taking he/she in even without having had a bird pet before. Green Cheek Conures(GCC) are sweet little devils that are pretty easy to maintain once you get into a routine.

Start by taking him to the Vet, they can gender-test, check up, and see if any local owners have lost a GCC. I'm not sure how big that cage is, but the minimal size of cage should be it's wingspan wide, and tall enough to climb around. The Vision M02 is a solid cage for a GCC, and filling it with toys, swings, and chewys will keep your guy entertained and happy while you're away. I'm not too keen on GCC diet, so please defer to some of the more enlightening posts here on that.

When you're at home, your bird should really be out of the cage, sitting near/on you. This strengthens his/her bond with you, and teaches them that your are: 1- Not a threat, but a friend, 2- The bringer of treats, scratches, and fun, and 3- Their best buddy and flock friend. One of the cooler things about the Conure family is their love of laying down. Most other bird species hate being put on their backs, but Conures can grow to love it, and will often lay down in your hand and fall asleep.

However, since this guy is a full-blooded parrot, you're going to have to deal with the noise. He will screech and whistle at an ear-splitting level. There are ways to help cut down on the amount of screeching, but bare in mind that it's hardwired in him/her, there's no stopping it. The two best ways to minimize it is to always be with him/her when you're home(never just leaving them in the cage), and to occasionally make them forage for food. This can be done with foraging toys or by making your own forage box. In the wild, birds have to forage for food, and the new convenience of an always-filled food bowl will make them grow restless, and bored.

We look for to seeing more of your new friend!

I can't help you with all the problems, but here's what I have—

I never use a vinegar solution for cleaning and have never had to; I do clean twice a week, though. The first time a week I just remove all of the bedding (newspapers) and replace it, the other time I scrub the cage bars, perches, and toys well with wet napkins/wipes because of feces/urine (make sure if you use wipes that they're safe for birds). Then all of the stuff falls onto the bedding. I also wipe the grate. Then the bedding is changed again. If you need a more in-depth description, you'll have to show me what kind of cage you get.

Don't forget to clean the food/water bowls daily. Bacteria can grow in the water bowl, and lots of feather dust (if you're fostering a dusty bird) will get in there. As for the food, you might not have to clean it daily, but my birds sleep directly above the bowls, so they poop in it by accident often.

I'm afraid I don't have any recipes, since my birds like fresh veggies. You should definitely try different ways to present them to your bird(s). Some like it hot chopped, some like it cold whole, some like it in the pot being placed high up, so try stuffing whole leaves of kale between the cage bars near a higher perch. It makes the cage look pretty, if that's your thing, as if it's full of wild foliage, and I find that birds enough chewing on the leaves when it's there as opposed to the bottom of the cage or the food bowls. Maybe even put it outside the cage, on the top, so they have a challenge pulling it through the bars.

Amazon sells a lot of bird cages, if you're fine with ordering online. I strongly recommend this one. Bought it for 80 dollars and the price seems to have risen, but it's really sturdy, lasted two years so far with no signs of breaking down, has 3 bowls and 2 nice perches, a door that opens like a ladder so your bird can climb out/in on its own, and lots of space. I have my two cockatiels who dislike each other in there and both have enough personal space, and I'm pretty sure a pet store could fit at least ten in (definitely don't recommend. I went to a bird store once with ten cockatiels in the same cage that was smaller than this one and they were all squished up tight in groups of two-three, poor things.)
They hate being alone in separate cages more than they hate each other, in case anyone was concerned.

Fourth, I've never used a cuddle tent, but I have also heard very bad things about them. I think you should cuddle your birds yourself, if they warm up to you. My birds enjoy sitting/chewing on this toy, which I also recommend, although not for birds larger than a conure. It gets destroyed very easily, and I've been through 4 in the past two years and that's me being conservative and replacing the twine with bird-safe fabric for a while. Worth it for the price, though. I like it so much I hang two in the cage at a time, one for each bird. If you want it to be cozy, hang it in a corner and put a toy or two in front of it that the bird can hide behind when it feels like it, as if the toys are leaves hiding a bird's nest in the treetops. Be creative.

Again, if you're looking for toys to sit on and good quality cages, definitely check out my two links.

That's the larger one I mentioned in my response to you, yes. I think you are better off getting a flight cage (like this for the money). The L12, the one you linked to, is the same one that I had and talked about in my responses to your post. However, like I said, cleaning it was a PAIN because you have to remove the whole cage top from the bottom (are you going to have it somewhere you can easily lift the entire cage up and over and set it down on to clean the tray and bottom out?), my elderly/blind Green Cheek Conures could escape from it, and wire sides are individually snapped together, which made it seem not that sturdy to me. But really, the cleaning thing and the GCCs (which are half the size of a Sun) being able to escape from it are the major big deals.

A flight cage like the kind I linked to is even bigger, already has a stand it is on, and the sides are individually cast and screwed together, which is much more sturdy. The pull out tray is also easy to clean - the grates and tray both slide out so that you can clean them without upsetting the rest of the cage. The vision's 'claim to fame' is it is cleaner because of the plastic fling guard along the bottom of the cage, but I find the flight cages are just as good if you use food dishes like this. If you amazon or google search for parrot flight cages, you'll get lots of sizes/options, you want to stay with bar spacing that's appropriate for Suns.

Toys totally depends on what your sun likes.. does he like shredding things? If so, cardboard, paper, or wood? Plastic toys where he messes with the parts? Does he like foot toys or hanging toys? Bells? Etc. Some ideas of the types of things he likes already would help us come up with some ideas for you.

There are lots of online toy vendors that are pretty good. I'm a fan of my safe bird store but there are lots of other similar stores and they always send a smattering of extra foot toys and stuff with their orders.

When I boarded my girl rats at Andy's all four of them fit fine in that cage. Some stuff I'd recommend are get tons of Lava ledges so they can have different heights in the cage. They have Big ones and Small ones. The small ones are only available online now I think. My girls love to hop from one to another plus it will help file down their nails and teeth. I currently have 10 big ones and 8 small ones in my 2 cages. A hammock is great but you can also put a space pod in there too as another place to sleep or chill. I just got one for my girls but I'm waiting for a hammock to be chewed down before putting it in there. I also got The Bandit Bridge and my girls love that too. I mainly use it as a safety net in case they fall off one of the ledges. I'd rather have them land on a soft thing than the igloo or hard cage bottom. Basically I'm cutting the fall in half.


Also if you still want to get another cage I recommend The Rat Manor I have it and my girls LOVE it! It's big enough for 4 rats so 3 would fit perfectly plus it has a metal bottom so they can't chew holes in it. Other than that you seem to be on the right track. Just spend a lot of time with them and get them used to you kinda like a re-introduction to humans and they should turn out fine. They may have been scared of the kids and all the noise but it sounds like they should perk up to you in no time after they get used to their new surroundings. Good luck and keep us posted!

This is just my two cents, but for a brand new GCC, this cage looks great. Especially if he gets lots of out of cage time. If he's going to be in there more often than not, then I'd suggest an upgrade when you can. This is the cage I have my GCC Bob in, and he loves it. He is out of his cage pretty much all day right now, but last semester that wasn't the case, and it won't be the case next semester, so it's good to have extra space for them. Here is another example of a good sized cage that he would love. For the record, I don't think Bob will be getting another cage for any reason other than if his current one breaks, so no worry about getting a new cage every year. I had him in a cage about the same size as yours when I first got him at 8 weeks old, and he did fine in it. It just became apparent that he would probably like some more room, so when I had some spare cash, I upgraded it for him.

As for your cuddle tent thingy, when I first got Bob, he LOVED it. Every night when I would put him in to bed, he would jump right in his tent and make all sorts of cute little chirpy noises. We've had him for about 8 months, and he's pretty much indifferent to it now and sleeps on a perch, though I've not noticed a safety issue with it thus far. Your bird may differ, but that's what mine did.



Edit: I forgot to link the other cage. Fixed now.

I just bought this cage about a week ago and I absolutely love it. It doesn't have quite as much vertical height as the Prevue cage, but it has a few things that really sold me.

1.) It comes with some platforms and ladders. My little girl Archie came from Petco with her wings clipped and she won't grow the feathers back in until her first molt in another month, so having the platforms and ladders helps her get around the cage.

2.) The base of the cage is high enough off the ground that my cat can't get to it. I highly recommend this if you have dogs or cats (maybe small children??)

3.) The door is really big and really easy to open. Archie is still pretty wary of hands and having the big open space for my hand to come through has definitely eased some of her anxiety. She feels less trapped. And it doesn't make any noise or shake the cage when you open it.

Anyway I really love this cage and just wanted the opportunity to rave about it. My bird has been so much happier since I got it. Good luck!

These are my top three that I personally used. :D

A) This awesome foldable travel cage. I love this because it folds and it is an easy travel cage when I take my flock with me on vacation, to the park, easy way to take them outside sunbathing with me, or to the pet stores ..etc. I also have used it during vet visits as well.

B) A simple, basic, plastic extra small dog/cat carrier. Sorry for the photo quality but I kindof wanted to give you a better idea. This is super light. It is easy for me to get my flock member and put them in there. I probably use this carrier the most for vet visit. You can drill a hole on the sides and insert a perch . You can get a mash for the front of the carrier so their heads don't get stuck between the bars.

C) A bird carrier backpack. This is worth the money. This is super study . It has a steel bowl holder, small animal water bottle holder, and slide tray for easy cleaning. I love this. You can use this for the vet visit and take your bird for a hike afterwards. Here's one of my birds using it at his vet visits

Good to know about the wing trims! There is definitely an art to it - the more feathers that are left on, the better their flying ability. So you can get the first two or three flight feathers trimmed (if you like) which leaves a lot of flying ability intact (just not his full flying ability).

Harnesses are awesome, and get them sunshine which is very important if you can take them outside.

I would look into adding some perches like this, which are bendable so you can make different shapes (here is an example). In my experience birds really love these! Additionally, adding in some branches (cleared of foliage/debris and sterilized, of course, or store bought) would be good, because the width is varied and it provides some vertical climbing opportunities.

Sounds like you are on the right path! Awesome job. :)

I think a lot of things are kind of up to your rat's preference. I wouldn't bother buying a wheel unless you knew they loved it because most rats don't care about running on wheels. I'd invest in a Sputnik because it's universally loved by rats. https://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Critter-Space-Pod-Large/dp/B002X2NBNQ You'll need some sort of bedding. I've put fleece covers down and litter box trained my rats. I tried all sorts of bedding but I really ended up liking Aspen shavings (which is the only safe wood for rats because the others give off scents that irritate their breathing). PVC pipe joints are good for them to run through and hide. http://www.allrightmachinery.com/pvc/pipe-fitting2.jpg My rats like Lava ledges to climb on and this helps wear down their claw without clipping. https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Lava-Ledge-Assorted-Colors/dp/B00176F466 Also put some bricks near their water/food bowl to help whittle their nails down too. Binder clips and safety pins are your friends for hanging things. A ton of my stuff is from the dollar store so I can just throw it away when it gets really disgusting/torn up. And plenty of soft fleece pieces/fabric scraps for them to snuggle and nest in. Save any cardboard boxes you can because they love playing in them.

Hm, well, it depends on what "Spending time" consists of. If we are talking playing with, singing to, speaking to, and scritch scratching, I would say maybe 3 hours a day I spend with them. However, when I am not playing with them, at work, or sleeping, they are always within 6 or 7 feet of me. I have music playing for them all day, every day, unless it is their bed time. That way they have something to sing along with/to. Lone budgies, though, are an entirely different story. The other budgie, which the budgie gets to spend all day, every day with becomes you. They constantly need attention and interaction. Not speaking from personal experience, but rather the information I have seen online. I would suggest getting two if you aren't able to basically be there for them for 7-8 hours a day. Also, that cage looks good to me, a lot like mine actually! You could definitely go smaller if you wanted to, but that one is great if you are willing to pay that price. The birds will definitely love it.

EDIT: I should point out that when you have more than one budgie, they become largely self-sufficient socially. Mine get pretty annoyed with them playing with them too long, and for a long time before they trusted me, they wouldn't interact with me at all. So don't force your budgie to play if they dont wanna, just come back another time.

That size cage is just fine for two budgies, in my opinion. It's very open in movement space which makes it different from the silly fun-shaped cages.

Look for perches on Amazon.com. I got my manzanita and rope from there SUPER cheap. Petco had sand perches on sale so I grabbed two. There's Manzanitashop and the rope perches. The small 32" fits the cage perfectly.

My parrotlets will sit and groom themselves in the mirror. They'll talk to it and stare at it. I would offer the mirror back to her so she has someone to talk to and keep up your training.

With stepping up.. Try going about doing it differently. She may take to it better if you nudge her from behind rather than in front. Don't push her or force her on, but gently nudge and follow her around the cage. For a while it was easier for me to just grab my boys and sit them in my hand. They'd sit and eat millet out of my hand. Then I'd get them to step up a few times and reward them with a bite of millet.

Be sure to use your voice and over-praise her in a happy tone when she does what you ask. Keep your head above her and look at her with your head tilted so that you don't seem scary to her.

She'll get used to it eventually and you'll have her trained in no time.

I recommend this cage to everyone who ever asks.

I absolutely love it, I have 2 of them. One is for my GCC and one is for my 'Tiel. They love them too! It might be a tad on the big side for even a pair of Budgies, but I'm sure they'd love it (and you'd future proof yourself if you decided to get a bigger cage/more Budgies!).

If you're looking for those two cages specifically, don't buy them from Petsmart, they overcharge like nobodies business. I found 2 similar versions on Amazon to the ones you linked. 1, and 2.

Good luck and welcome soon to Parronthood!

Hey! I was able to get a big cage online through Petco for about $60. I don't have a specific link for you but I'd definitely check there. Basically, I would get a cage big enough for 2-4 budgies because, if you're like me, you'll definitely end up getting more. Budgies can get really depressed if they don't have friends.
Here's my number one rule for buying a cage for any bird: the bigger the cage, the happier the bird! It's also important to get one that doesn't have a rounded top, because it can make budgies anxious. Cages that open at the top are cool too because it's easier for your budgie to leave/enter the cage. It's also nice if there's a big door on the front so it's easier for you to train your budgie while it's still in the cage. I'll give you some links I found on Amazon for different sizes/prices:

Super tall cage, $65

Good for 2-3 budgies, $65

Very popular cage, would fit several budgies, also has wheels, $100

Flight cage for 1 budgie, $50

Petco links:
Cage for 1 budgie only, $30

I suggest this one, good for 1-2 budgies and has open top!!

For cages I would get something like this it will last you a life time and your bird will love it.
As far as birds Indian ringnecks are a bit more intensive than budgies or tiels or conures. Their beaks are pretty strong and they are pretty smart so they would need better toys to play with if you want the toys to last more than a couple of days.

I would also look at Quakers if you take care of it and give it enough socialization time they will not be very vocal. Really noise level depends on the personality of the bird them self and the amount of time you give them.

Quakers pack a lot of bird for such a small package and can be very rewarding if you put the right care into them.

I give my bird a little seed and a lot of pellets, she always goes for the seed first but I give her a few days before I refill it. I have my cockatiel in this cage which has these awesome double sided food dishes so I can see how much she eats of her zupreem pellets and how much seed she eats. Be careful at first and make sure your bird eats the pellets the first day, otherwise refill the seed and try again. I also keep the food and water near the bottom of the cage, and her treat dish closer to her favorite perch. That way she can more easily see and get to her treats, it seems to encourage her to try things.

Most of all keep trying. They turn their noses up a lot but just give him a little of everything that you eat and he will come around. Pics of my cage setup and Biscuit, my lovable bird.

Sounds like she'll be fine with time then :)

If you want suggestions for cages, Vision's usually a good set - I use this one for mine: https://www.amazon.com/Vision-Bird-Cage-Model-M02/dp/B0012DOXEI/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504334336&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=visionbird+cage - It's big enough, but only just. There's also the Large model that's really not much bigger, just wider: https://www.amazon.com/Vision-Bird-Cage-Model-L01/dp/B0012DOXFC/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504334336&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=visionbird+cage

Best part of those cages is the plastic bottom part that detaches, makes cleaning the bottom easier than a slide-out tray + the bird gets a better view while eating and most importantly, no seeds being flung everywhere since it's solid walls, with little doors on either end to change the food/water easy.

In the meantime since you only have two (I assume one is long and goes lengthwise for the food/water?), you can probably put that one in the middle just above the door, she'll wanna be as high as possible but not bumpin against the ceiling if at all possible...I know it's kinda tough in that cage though, it looks neat but when it comes to practical use I regretted buying it, lol

Edit: I forgot to mention one thing, your birb may or may not have issues getting to the bottom of the cage with those cages - the "depth" of the solid see-through walls is kinda deep, and getting Ladders/Perches that go down to the bottom is tough to figure out. I got lucky in that mine basically does "pullups" to get up and down - she'll grab the bottom bar of the cage part with her beak and lower her body and feet down to the grate on the bottom, and do the same to pull herself back up when she's done. Your mileage may vary.

A box isn't ideal, but is better than being preyed on and attacked outside, especially just for something temporary. Watch out for curious beak marks that may be expanding the air holes! Birds can fly far and get carried by wind, so this bird could have escaped from cities away.

Get some seed to feed it, and dark leafy greens. Lettuce is mostly water so it doesn't offer much nutrition, and apples are sugary so they may boost its energy which is fine here and there, but if all you're working with is a cardboard box, it may make them restless, more bitey, and frustrated with pent up energy (this applies to all fruits - they should be fed in moderation). You can offer most vegetables limitlessly, and if nobody comes forward to claim this as their lost pet, you'll want to transition them to a pelleted diet supplemented with some seed and lots of vegetables and grains. Here's a good food list.

Also, not all lovebirds are pairs and not all lovebirds are suitable to be in pairs with each other. Whether you get a same or opposite sex companion, I would still give them two separate cages, at least to start. They may be very small and cute, but they are very capable of biting off toes, puncturing beaks, and killing each other if they don't want to share space with that particular bird. Lovebirds are very territorial and compared to other small parrots, they've got a ton of attitude. As long as you have the time to give a bird one on one socialization throughout the day, they can do fine without a cagemate.

Find an avian vet in your area as well. You don't know how long this little one has been outdoors or whether or not they're healthy. It would be very sad to get a huge setup ready for this bird only to have it pass away from a disease it caught, or weakness from its journey. Birds may be people-friendly having been socialized as pets, but they can also be more handleable when they're ill or injured.

It might seem like overkill relative to the size of the bird, but if all comes back well with the bird's health, if you can afford the space, a cage like this is pretty affordable (if you can find a local equivalent) and spacious enough to exert energy flying around on its own. A variety of natural wood perches and toys with bells and soft woods like balsa are lovebird favourites. I do a full swap of everything in the cage and its position every week when I do full cage cleanings (washing the cage bars and base - I do newspaper, water, and food changes daily though) to keep things interesting. They're very effective shredders, so keep important documents hidden.

I think that's a good plan. If you have access to Amazon, I can't recommend this birdcage enough. I have gotten one for all my birds and most recently my 2 English budgies upgraded and they think it's the best thing ever. The rolling ability rocks and this thing is HUGE for the price you are paying.

Don't get discouraged...the people on this subreddit and /r/parrots are really helpful and supportive. I'm really happy you are looking for advice and talking with people about what to do to make your bird happy and healthy. That shows you care.

Congrats on your new birbs!

If you are able to, you'll definitely want to get a bigger cage and better perches for their little feets. We got this one and it's a great deal for the size you get: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00176F5L0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also when you can, get some non-dowel perches. As long as it's a safe wood, using a few tree branches with varying widths will help exercise their feet. You can use a guide like this to see which are safe or not: http://www.mdvaden.com/bird_page.shtml

Also give them some flat platforms as well so they can rest their feet. We put in 2 for our birbs and they love to sleep their now and lay down on the platforms and give their feet a break from gripping a perch all the time.

I prefer the vision cages. They are great if you don’t want them creating a mess when eating their food. I got a medium sized cage for my budgie and she was excited to be in it. Heck I cant get her to come out anymore because she wants to stay in it all the time. She loves to talked to the plastic hooks and the door knobs on the cage as well. I got a medium sized cage, you can order a large, or small one if you prefer but I found the medium is pretty good for me. Its also a lot easier to clean in my opinion!

The vision cages have different sizing as well. I got the medium m01, its longer. They have a medium m02 which is taller. So I would look at each cage and look at the dimensions, reviews and videos if you decide to get a vision cage. Its made it easier for me since I don’t have to worry about her flinging bird seed everywhere.

I got mine from Amazon, but it is the same price on Chewy.com. Available in white or black. I absolutely love how easy it is to pull and clean the tray, and the bars are easily wiped down. It also has several access points other than the two door openings which are delightfully wide, since it can be difficult to extract an unwilling birb. Plenty of room for my playground on the roof of the cage and it has a storage shelf.
I sound like a cage advertisement. It’s a nice cage and not as expensive as some.

Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Flight Cage with Stand F040 Black Bird Cage, 31-Inch by 20-1/2-Inch by 53-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_i-1kDbXVNZ2YQ

Hi there - both birds are male. Wallace has the same blue cere as your bird. Charlie is one of those color morphs where the cere doesn't turn blue.

I'll do my best to ID everything. I included links so you can find product numbers if you need them.

1. Lixit Quick Lock Bird Bath
   
   
2. Happy Perch - as far as I know, they went out of business. They were a small company based out of Colorado that was badly affected by some flooding a few years back.
   
   
3. Clean cup feeder
   
   
4. Scooter Z Circle Circle - I cut the rubber ball off of the one in the cage because it got brittle. That's why it currently has pieces of Shredders in it!
   
   
5. No idea on the brand, but it's a natural wood perch. The texture of the bark helps wear their nails down but it's more comfortable than the cement perches people sometimes use.
   
   
6. "The Wave" toy from JW Pet Insight Activitoys - I pulled off the bell because the company wouldn't confirm it didn't have zinc plating. Parrots play with things using their mouths and anything zinc plated can cause zinc poisoning down the line.
   
   
7. Booda Comfy Perch - there are several brands of rope perches out there. I've bought a few and they seem comparable. I have these in several sizes. My birds love them.
   
   
8. Insight wood bird perch - Don't remember the size, sorry.
   
   
9. Wood corner shelf - This takes up a lot of room in the cage so I wouldn't get one unless you think your bird will use it.
   
   
10. JW Pet Company Insight Cuttlebone Holder
    
    My birds also have the Bird Kabob Mini and the Scooter Z Tropical Lily.
    
    

I would line the floor pans with more fleece. One layer will be fine if they aren't heavy chewers. This gives them extra cushion on their feet and makes the whole cage a cozy place to nap.

If you do this, I'd also suggest a slab of some sort. I use countertop samples, but slabs of granite etc. are easy to purchase at a Home Depot or other DIY type store. This will provide a solid, cool surface to lounge on as well as keep the fleece anchored in that corner.

Tunnels! My ratties love their plastic, pvc, and cardboard tunnels. An alternative would be to use an empty tube of Quaker oats and punch out the bottom. Just throw them away after a few days to avoid grossness.

Scrap the wheel. If you can, try to get a solid plastic wheel without any wire. The wire wheels can catch their toes, tails, etc. They're also harsh on the bottoms of their feet.

Hammocks and hanging fleece tubes of all kinds are highly recommended. To name a few:

Pirate Hammock - $14.32

Pyramid Hammock - $10.21

Simple Hanging Tunnel - $7.00

Parrot toys and ladders also work well, just be sure they aren't made of pine. Pine is toxic to rats. Other types of "Soft Wood" are also harmful (softwood trees are cedar, Douglas fir, juniper, pine, redwood, spruce, and yew). Products and tree branches made of these are not safe to use in the cage.

Especially for young rats, it's important to let them climb. A thick rope, such as this parrot perch are excellent climbing toys. The clips attach firmly to any wall of the cage.

You can get as creative or as simple as you like!

See also: "The Grotto"

So the only way I think you could pull this off is buying a bigger cage, here is a cage that looks about right and should fit to budgies. ( I don’t own it myself).

You could move your new budgie into the old cage and keep it away while you tame it and see for illnesses. I also recommend waiting a bit and asking for it’s gender I don’t have experience with female budgies but this should help.

Also, most budgies cages are fine for 2 if you have any measurements or pics I’d love to see them and can help you evaluate if you can fit another, you will probably still need to get a smaller travel cage while you tame her though.

If you do get a flight cage and move the new one into the older cage both budgies will be interested in their new surroundings and what your doing right now should be fine!

I upgraded to the Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation Two Story https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NJ0DAY/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like the horizontal bars, its size, the flat floor, large doors, and that you can expand it. I can only recommend it if you are willing to work on it, as it can be hard to put together and dangerous otherwise.

If the pieces were perfect, it would not be hard to put together. But some of the connections were bent and needed to be straitened, had a bad weld that made a gap, so had to be creative and a second set of hands to get it into place. It is just a one time headache and your set might be better.

For sugar gliders, you will want to not add the middle floor section, not adding it exposes holes, and then there is holes for where you can add the adjustable shelves.

The dangerous part is the holes have sharp edges, so they need to be filed smooth. Also, the punched out bit is still in the holes on most of them. They can be removed with needle nose pliers. If this is not done, I would worry about a curious sugar glider loosing a finger or whole hand...

​

The one I had before was the HQ Flight Cage https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UTZ040/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is a little smaller, but still a descent size, it has bars on the bottom and slide out floor under it, so with a bit of newspaper (or what ever you prefer) it was easy to clean it, the smaller doors can be an advantage if you have have trouble keeping the gliders inside when you open it.

I had it for three years, the main reason I replaced it is I did not like the vertical bars, even though I never had an issue, I worried about it hurting their feet, as they always slid down on the bars a bit and with the bars on the bottom, they did not have much flat ground to stand on. I also wanting something a bit larger.

Other wise, it was a great cage. It was easy to put together and the only adjustment I had to make was to zip tie shut the little bird doors on the top of it.

​

I looked into both cages, before getting them, to make sure they were not coated with anything toxic to sugar gliders, which is the main issue with cheap bird cages.

I got my two budgies this cage!

It may seem like overkill, but I will never have budgies in a cage smaller than this ever again. It's decked out with tons of enrichment toys (shredding, foraging, ect). They absolutely love it.

Theres a ton of room for different sized perches, and lots of space. But of course since it's mating season, my budgies still get occasionally annoyed at each other over toys and such. It happens.

But for real, I would 100% recommend upgrading to something this size. And this is probably the best price for a cage this size. Trust me, you won't regret it once you see how much fun it is for them!!

As someone else has posted, minimum cage size for a single budgie that will be allowed out of the cage for most of the day is 18"x18"x18". If you have more than one bird, or they will be confined to the cage for most of the day, you need to go bigger. And please keep in mind that when people tell you the minimum size for a cage that it is just that, a minimum.

​

If this were school, the minimum would be a grade of "D", in that you are technically passing, but nobody is impressed.

​

My personal opinion on the matter is that unless I am taking in an animal under emergency circumstances in which I have no time to prepare financially, then I should save up and provide living conditions that would be at least be a "B" or higher. In this case, it would be a flight cage.

​

I have frequently pointed out that a great flight cage like this (https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0) requires only that you forego your daily Starbucks coffee for 3-4 weeks. That's it. Then you have nice big cage and your bird will live a much better life for it.

Here are some that my Syrian really likes and actually uses. Also, consider bird toys that song have any plastic beads or connectors. I found some great toys the other day.

Sleep 'n' Play Cheese - Hamster & Small Animal Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008J2CRAC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_lU0JDb3HX5JX9

Prevue Hendryx 62801 Naturals Coco Hideaway with Ladder Bird Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007PO3AEC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_aW0JDbJBM93HH

Stuff these with some seeds and he will be entertained for hours. Niteangel Small Animal Activity Toy, Fun Pet Balls (Pack of 4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078Y4WNBL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_aX0JDbMPVBPMK


Throw some seeds in the wicker ball of the following toys:

Bonka Bird Toys 1730 Foraging Hearts Bird Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CYL4LIO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JZ0JDb9P5QF6J

Bonka Bird Toys 1839 Foraging Star Bird Toy Parrots Conures Macaw Cockatoo Pet Cocatiel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LE594M0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_u10JDb9PWBWJ2

Pet Bird Hanging Building Natural Straw Flower Toy Bird Cage Pendant Chew Toy (Multicolor) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V55B68W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_m20JDbED1EPX7

I would suggest something like this probably for your hahn too since the bar is probably stronger also had room on top- Yaheetech 68'' Wrought Iron Select Rolling Large Bird Cages for African Grey Parrots Cockatiels Green Cheek Conure Play Top Bird Cage with Stand https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VWLEC00/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_aDg0Cb9HBVE62.

Something like that size would be acceptable for the hahn IF the bird is out of the cage a lot.

Ecclecus would probably need bigger-
New Elegant Wrought Iron Open/Close Dome Play Top Bird Parrot Cage, Include Metal Seed Guard Solid Metal Feeder Nest Doors https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTGDT2O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SFg0CbQR4VMX6

People have left reviews saying they use this for African greys and cockatoos which are about the same size


If they are out of their cage 6-8 hours day, those sizes are not as important. However if they are in their cage 12+ hours a day size is very important

If you can afford it, this cage is very popular. My tiel loves it and, after about a week of practice, has had no trouble climbing the vertical bars. The perches it comes with aren't great, but rope perches are pretty cheap and comfy for little bird feet!

Congrats on your new birb! Hope to see lots of cute pics of him as he settles in

if she’s not anxious without you then it could be perfectly fine to have her in a backpack carrier! i’ve heard good things about this one and i think taking her safely out for some fresh air is a fantastic idea. i can see your issue with harnesses, especially if you live in a particularly predator-ridden area. (of course, there are cheaper options than the one i linked)

Beautiful birds! Don't pay attention to people being aggressive here. This is not how you educate people about things that need to be done or not. They are right about different types of branches, I personally have a few of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002563O0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I also have 1 set of stairs. Your cage is huge! which is really nice for the birds!


Branches like this is also nice: https://www.amazon.com/SNNplapla-Parrot-Natural-Toy-15CM-Birdcage/dp/B075WTWZ9S/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=wood+perch&qid=1562340533&s=gateway&sr=8-7 . I've heard from several places that these type of perches are not that good, but I still have some in my cage. As long as you at least provide other types it's not that bad! They also love toys that can be easily destroyed. Mine love to destroy cardboard, so I cut some squares and attach to the cage.

Discovered these vine balls recently. (Looks like this specific one may be out of stock.) Our finches love moving them around, and have figured out that if they work hard enough, they can tear them apart and then play with the individual sticks.

Also, a small coconut thing that they love.

It takes them around 2 weeks to not be freaked out by anything new haha.

yeah that is a big concern! Wire can cause fractured/broke feet and toes! I would recommend http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Chinchilla-12-Inch-Exercise/dp/B0006IK0PQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372998518&sr=8-1&keywords=silent+spinner that one. Are you getting girls or boys? OH! and if you want a lot of people cover the shelves with fleece for easy clean up/soft cuddle spots. I personally don't with that cage since the shelves are smaller. Just something to consider!
And another thing my rats like are http://www.amazon.com/Lava-Ledge-Attachment-Chinchilla-Habitat/dp/B00176F466/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_2 I like to put one up and then a hanging toy above it. It just adds another little thing for them to use.

Yeah sure! I got it from amazon for a good price. My cockatiel absolutely loves hers so I’m hoping Emil loves it too.

Prevue Hendryx F050 Pet Products Wrought Iron Flight Cage, X-Large, Hammertone Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQ228/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NN5WCbYV5KCVH

Welcome back :) Silent night is really calming to me for some reason. It definitely gets me in the Christmas spirit! Thanks for the contest! I have a bird ladder for under 5.

I know you said you may not be able to accommodate this, but I got this for my baby.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00176F5L0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I actually started out with the same cage you got, just by someone else on amazon and it was only $100 dollars, not as expensive as that one. This brand is still Prevue, and I wish I would of bought this cage first. I've seen plenty of people use the cage you have linked for their tiels and it seems to work fine, but my girl seemed to hate the cage and only stayed on her sleeping perch in it even after having three weeks to get used to it. She begged to be let out.

Also, the play top she struggled to get on to. But, she is only 3 months old and is still learning to climb. I always had to put her up there myself, and she could never climb down by herself. My local pet store has tiels in those exact cages and they don't seem to have those issues, so its only a baby bird thing.


I got this one and she now runs back and forth through the whole length, goes in the cage by herself and will stay in there without begging for much longer. She spends about 6-7 hours out of her cage all day but will still go inside it on her own to chill. She just seems to like it much more.

But, as I said, many people have their birbs in that cage and don't seem to have issues. Mine was just picky lmao, I wanted to share it anyway

I have one of the Hagen Vision cages - the small cage is too small but the medium is great for one or two birds:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000K67UF2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_tdMsybZE1AV4Q

It's really good and the design helps catch mess made by your birds when they eat. Highly recommended!

One of my rats is weirdly picky about the stuff she chews on. Have you tried different types of chews? If you don't have any Lava Ledges, you can try one of those. They can help grind down those sharp rat claws AND teeth! There are pumice blocks and stuff specifically marketed for chewing out there but I like lava ledges for the multitasking ;)

Rats have an instinctive need to grind down their teeth so there's bound to be some type of material they're into.

e: Something you can try: A Kong dog toy (possibly two, to keep the peace). This was the first thing I got my picky rat to chew on. I stuff chopped carrots inside it (which are also good for teeth), and they also have fun figuring out how to get the treats!

The best idea is to go as big as possible. I have two parakeets in this cage, and they seem pretty happy in it, because there's plenty of room for them to fly around and also have plenty of toys and perches! I got rid of the dowels and put natural manzanita wood branches in.

https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-F050-Products-Hammertone/dp/B0002AQ228/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=prevue+parakeet+flight+cage&link_code=qs&qid=1558140390&s=gateway&sr=8-1

That's so awesome, I'm happy for you and Buttons! If I could suggest a cage, I just got this one in anticipation of my next baby. It seems like a great bang for your buck and the small flaws it has (mostly the spring loaded doors) are an easy fix. I put it together myself without much hassle in about 1-2 hours last night.

mice are nocturnal. I recommend leaving the wheel in at night since that’s when they’re most active. if you’re worried about her running in poop, mice are very clean animals and will clean themselves off just fine. I would still recommend rinsing off the wheel a couple times a week though. I also recommend that you get some stuff for her to climb on to hang from the cage lid. Such as this

Prevue is a popular brand, though they have a very wide range of quality and purpose.

Here is what I’d recommend:
Prevue Pet Products Square Roof Parrot Cage, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040QJ4Y8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VRiQAbN0ZKJXQ

Plenty of height to allow two “layers” as well as the bottom, sliding door access for food/water bowls (important for being able to change out food/water without disturbing a bird that’s not comfortable), slide-out bottom tray (again, same with regards to bird comfort but also convenience).

The size is above minimum. Bigger is better but honestly, a cockatiel combined with plenty of outside cage time make it unnecessary.

I think that this new cage is actually really dangerous for your new babies. That cage seems to be for larger birds. You don't want bar spacing any bigger than 1/2". You can't simply get a large cage, the cage has to be appropriate for small guys. Something like this (try searching for "flight cage") if you want a great large cage for them. The rust is extremely worrisome as well. I'm guessing you got the cage second hand, so I hope you didn't pay too much for it. I understand you had good intentions, getting them a cage they can fly and flex their wings in, but you have to consider appropriateness! Good luck!

These are the cages I've been looking at for a cockatiel, they might be of some use for you. :P

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_img?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1PYULTW2U23E0&coliid=I1Y8P06YPYHEGA

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C332AOG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_img?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1PYULTW2U23E0&coliid=I3M9R1939J71TR

I'm under the impression that longer is better than taller because it gives more room to roam and fly versus having to climb up and down the cage to access different areas. I'm also not an expert, I've had chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, but still researching house birds before I take one in. /r/parrots would be a good resource for you as well, lots of 'tiel posts and lots of people with their own birdies, good place to ask for input!

Here's the cage I've got: http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396910974&sr=8-1&keywords=flight+cage

There's two nest boxes in there, multiple perches, three water dishes on different levels (including a dish on the floor), and two food dishes on different levels.

There's four zebras now, all male. I figured since our other two males got along great and I didn't have to worry about eggs, that it wasn't such a bad idea. =/

I can't imagine their markings would have anything to do with it, but maybe? The pied zebra is fine, but the one being picked on is a black cheeked zebra. The other two are just normal noisy guys. =)

No heat lamps but if there's a good reason to get one, I will. We keep the house in the low 70's and they're in front of a well insulated sliding door that gets a good amount of evening sun.

You should go for something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426634433&sr=8-1&keywords=large+bird+cage

With a little perch rearrangement and other stuff, something like that should be fine. However, if you can find or build something bigger, better yet!

If you go for a cage, though, be sure to tame them so they can have some time outside (in a closed, safe room) to fly around.

We had our cockatiel in the second one for the first couple of years after we got him, but always felt it was too small and cramped. We upgraded to this one about a year ago and he absolutely loves it.

EDIT: I mistyped - I meant to say we used to use the second one (the smaller one), not the first. We still use the small one as a travel cage, for which it works great (we recently moved, during which we transported our bird ~150 miles in it).

Best thing I could find (10.7 x 18.4 x 8)

The only thing I would worry about is the little ones chewing on the coating, this size should cover 1/3 long ways.

Also you may be able to use the hooks on this not only as a stand but you could make very small holes and hook it to add even more room.

However if this doesn't work, you could add adhesive hooks so you can use cage hooking items like this

If the hooks aren't what you want then you can add items like these:

Best Option

Wooden Balcony

Platform

Platform and Swing

Platform and Swing - The Squeequel

I really hope this will help you and the little ones out!

Edit: Forgot to add this one

That could be it. She avoids the pedi perch and her foraging toy. But she's explored or played with the others to some degree.

This is the cage. I got the smallest one - I think 18x18x57? Some people say their tiels love it, but I feel like the bars are too slippery. I'm so unsure. I just want her to be safe and happy

I would say a cage like [this] (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nlprDb4JXKD81) is strongly recommended for happy lovebirds, unless you’re letting them free roam your house a few hours a day and the cage is for sleeping only.

Mischief Managed.

1. Champagne Flutes/toasting glasses - the most magic of bubblies.
   
2. Broom - a most magical scarecrow
   
3. Hat - 3 threes, hoping to match them with aces
   
4. Book - did somebody say Magic?
   
5. Trunk - a most delightful trunk and it comes with a monkey!
   Bonus: Cape - a tiny secret superhero lair for my birds

This is the best priced cage i've found. It's wrought iron so it won't wear out quickly. It's pretty darn big, I would say perfect for 4-5 cockatiels.

I would not recommend housing two different species together. It's one thing to get along outside their 'nest' area, but birds are territorial of their space and one of your birds may end up hurt. Budgies tend to be little bullies. I know my conure and my cockatiels get along beautifully outside the cage but if one of my cockatiels so much as perches on my conure's cage she goes batshit crazy on them. The only one in the house allowed to touch her 'house' besides her is me.

But, fortunately for you. I have the perfect solution for you. This cage. It is a divided cage. You can have 'one cage' but your birds are separated. If they do end up getting along well like this, the divider is removable and your birds can be housed together, and still, you would have only bought one cage.

some recommendations for perches and toys from me:

• [1] (https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-62801-Naturals-Hideaway/dp/B007PO3AEC/ref=sr_1_9?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1495633046&sr=1-9&keywords=bird+toys)
  
  
• [2] (https://www.amazon.com/Vision-83380A1-Bird-Bath/dp/B001B5A8FK/ref=sr_1_27?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1495633081&sr=1-27&keywords=bird+toys)
  
  
• [3] (https://www.amazon.com/JW-Pet-Company-Activitoys-Basketball/dp/B003V71508/ref=sr_1_34?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1495633081&sr=1-34&keywords=bird+toys). My budgies have this one and love it!
  
  
• [4] (https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-62801-Naturals-Hideaway/dp/B007PO3AEC/ref=sr_1_9?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1495633046&sr=1-9&keywords=bird+toys). Good place for him to snuggle up in should the weather go cold.
  
  
• [5] (https://www.amazon.com/10-Assorted-Small-Bird-Toys/dp/B01069DOV6/ref=sr_1_10?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1495633046&sr=1-10&keywords=bird+toys). You could get some assorted bird toys from this link if it ships to where you live and rotate them around throughout the year.
  
  Some toys will eventually get destroyed which is why they're so cheap, busy beak will chew them up and throw them around anyway. I can recommend that pink perch as my own birds love theirs. offer some branches and some rope perches for perching on so he lessens his risk of bumblefoot.

Yes, a very cute boy! I agree though, a larger cage and make sure to have a lot of branches of varying sizes. The linked cage (or the smaller version) comes with such branches!

spiral bird rope

bendy bird rope

wooden bridge

Sputnik/space pod

foraging toy

wooden climbing platforms

2-pack lava ledges

foraging wheel

Also a good idea might be to look up some rat safe treat recipes and make a little ratty goodie bag for them (banana chips, oats, dried pasta, certain seeds, etc.)

If you ever have trouble handling him, you might consider using a stiff rope perch to step him up safely and keep him at a distance. I keep mine folded in the U shape by leaving the packaging on.

Grays are intelligent, and their capacity for change is great. Keep up the good work.

These are both fairly big, but from what you described I felt like these fit. Here's a much less expensive one I have for my two budgies https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NPX5BC/ref=asc_df_B001NPX5BC4997843/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B001NPX5BC&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167134466316&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15514101476818063859&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023746&hvtargid=pla-273564412720

They can fly around a little in here but I couple it with out of cage time for a good chunk of the day.

Honestly, I'm not knowledgeable enough on this subject to be helpful. You can find large cages suitable for a tiel for around 140 dollars on Amazon. For the convenience of a cage already powder coated and designed to house a parrot, something it will live in for 15-20 years. It's not a bad price. This one is very popular.

Hmm... I only see this on Amazon in one size, with the largest birds in the customer images being Lovebirds, so a conure might be a little cramped in there.

I recommend hitting up a pet store that specializes in birds/exotic pets and looking around for a larger one! I usually have to drive an hour north of my house to Denver to find shops like this, but the selection of toys and hideouts is always well worth it.

By the way, here is the link to the one I have, as well as the one in OP's post.

If your conure is on the small side and you want to give it a try, it's only nine bucks!

https://www.amazon.ca/Vision-Bird-Cage-Model-Medium/dp/B0012DOXEI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549067541&sr=8-1&keywords=bird%2Bcage%2Bvision&th=1 The bigger, the better. Most of the cages the pet store will try to sell you are too small.


I have the above cage and my budgie loves it. One good thing about it is the deep base means no scattered seeds on the floor like with other cages.

I don’t have this cage, but I’ve seen it get recommended around r/parrots sometimes. It’s a pretty good size for its price and has good reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00176F5L0/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

edit: wrong link

While not a huge cage, this one is what I keep one of my cockatiels in. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EQ28WX0/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_31?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

It's a fairly decent size and I'm also a fan of longer cages, especially since I've found she likes to run back and forth along the bottom. You can get with or without the stand but I prefer the stand. They're also stackable if you plan on some other birds later on.

Something like this one is a bit bigger but still fairly wide compared to others, and might also be a good option depending on what you're looking for. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00C332AOG/ref=pd_aw_sbs_199_of_11?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TR3DDN23PHS076Q80P0G

I've got this wheel for my two little friends and it's remarkably quiet:
http://www.amazon.com/Trixie-Natural-Living-exercise-wheel/dp/B0057FZ9AO?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

It runs on an axle with ball bearings. At first I thought the wheel would have too much mass, but in the evenings one of our two gerbils tends to go full throttle in it.


Also, gerbils like some privacy and some hiding places. Wooden houses or hollowed out coconuts are great. Mine gnawed away the ropes on this one: http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-62801-Naturals-Hideaway/dp/B007PO3AEC?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00 (bet they were really surprised when the coconut met gravity), so I replaced the upper rope (to suspend it from their ceiling) with a ball chain.

I've also found they enjoy lying in the morning sunlight, so you might want to place the tank somewhere it does get some direct sunlight some times of the day.

This!
I bought this bird cage for my cockatiel a little while ago and it's been the best investment I've made for him. He has plenty of space to climb and flap around, though I usually let him out an about in my room.
https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/

For two budgies, this would easily be a paradise.

This is it. Couple downsides I’ve noticed are that the bars are mostly vertical so the lil birdies have a harder time climbing around, and there’s no opening out of the top of the cage. The cage door can be made to stay open which is nice, and cleaning it is super easy with the pullout tray.

I got a cage for my parakeets off Amazon. They love it in there. It's pretty big so they can fly around.

I got this one from another website. I bought separate bowls though.

https://thepetsupplyguy.com/budgie-cage-size-calculator/
Heres a link that can help you
Also a link to a cage for 6 budgies really cheap and good quality, the more space the better.
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Companions-Large-Bird-Cage/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=pd_bap_m_rp_2/140-3871455-9849746?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00176F5L0&pd_rd_r=1c4661d9-2d74-4645-a46a-0e5949d9c8b8&pd_rd_w=4CRld&pd_rd_wg=rqKQQ&pf_rd_p=fad01225-121a-4a4a-bbb6-5a41829a616e&pf_rd_r=E6PFEH67ENF5G88A9EHH&psc=1&refRID=E6PFEH67ENF5G88A9EHH

We have this one for our quaker and it's absolutely perfect! We strung some plastic chain across at various levels and have a while bunch of toys and perches in the upper half, and she loves hanging out in and around it.

bird rope for the birdies to play on. They like the scramble around and chew on stuff. It's perfect.

Optimus Prime

If you work full time, two is better for them. Budgies are flock birbs and get bored and lonely if left on their own.

The best cage is the biggest one you can afford and have space for. For the price, this is a great cage.

My boys have a "lava ledge." I got mine from the pet store, but you can buy yours here: https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-100079157-Lava-Ledge/dp/B00176F466/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505518972&sr=8-2&keywords=lava+ledge

It isn't so much THEIR favorite toy as mine. They seem to enjoy sitting on it, and it keeps their little claws worn down. Other than that, I would say their favorite toy is probably dirty laundry, especially jeans. Or weird-shaped boxes from Aldi.

This cage is very nice and probably the best option https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0

And this is another cage that could work I think https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Flight-Cage-White/dp/B001NPX5BC/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?keywords=prevue+bird+cage&qid=1562041913&s=gateway&sprefix=prevue+&sr=8-17

I don't really recommend it for cockatiels. It's a very narrow cage and just not very good in terms of them actually being able to spread their wings and do some flappin'. (For budgies and similarly-sized birds however - it's great!)

For a tiel I recommend something more like this if you want lots of space.

Also, for birds I'd say you can usually find them on craigslist (or your local equivalent) or at a rescue, especially since there are so many who don't have good homes already, and tiels are very easily rehabilitated with some TLC even if they've had bad owners. Be sure, however, that you quarantine any new bird!

As others have said, rats can escape 7/8" wire spacing.

I recently bought this cage and I'm pretty happy with it: http://www.amazon.com/Parakeet-Cockatiel-Lovebird-Removable-Black/dp/B00C332AOG

The spacing is 1/2 inch, so even my small female rat can't squeeze through.

I like that the base is smaller than the critter nation, so it takes up less space in my room. It comes with 2 ladders and 2 platforms. They are made of wire, so they need to be wrapped with something (like fleece).

He is in the living room next to the couch we always sit on. We have an apartment so that is where we spend almost all our awake time when home.

He lives in this cage

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_80UxybE2WNZXY

I started throwing an old hand towel over him because it prevented him from taking off and injuring himself. Once in hand I uncover his head, let him stand in my hand while still in the towel, and hold my thumb and forefinger on either side of his head in a manner that prevents him from wriggling out, but also makes it so he isn't being clutched in a hand, but rather just the thumb and forefinger rest on his shoulders (only stiffen them when he struggles, no squeezing)

Before that we would try catching him by hand but that made him even more freaked out than the towel and he often would escape.

It's also on amazon for $8.99 - my lovebird loves it, but only after I put a handkerchief on the bottom to make it cushy. :)

http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-62801-Naturals-Hideaway/dp/B007PO3AEC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415855416&sr=8-2&keywords=coconut+hut

You will absolutely want a flight cage. I believe I got one off amazon that was like 2 feet long, 5 feet tall, and like 2.5-3 feet width? Let me see if I can find it.

edit:
found it, I think

This is the one I always recommend for small to medium parrots. It's great quality for the money.

http://www.amazon.com/HQ-Flight-Multi-Purpose-Aviary/dp/B002UTZ040

I don't have a tiel but my brother does. The cage he ended up getting was this:

https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/

It was a pain in the butt to set up, but so far it's been pretty great for his two tiels.

I do like your setup. I would suggest getting baby teething rings to hang across the cage and possible a bird rope that they can walk on. Though I have to warn you about that edible hut. If it's one of those snack shack things. They have alfalfa in it, which some people say rats cannot digest. Usually the rats won't actually eat it, but the honey in it can encourage them to ingest it and cannot digest the alfalfa. Plus, depending on what one you got, it might have pine shavings as an ingredient. This is all things that I have heard or read and have never experienced myself because I erred on the side of caution. You make your own decision based on your little ones, I just wanted to give you the information.

This cage is generally pretty popular due to being a decent price for the size:

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Companions-Large-Bird-Cage/dp/B00176F5L0?th=1

I got this one on sale for my three tiels and its more than enough room. They love it!
https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=sr_1_10?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1483562144&sr=1-10&keywords=bird+cage

Amazon has some decent options

So... about 4'x2' I'm guessing.

I assume it's the LENGTH that is the main issue. If you went only 1 more foot in depth, you could accommodate 6 finches. One more foot sticking out could likely be accommodated in a small space - even if it means rearranging something. (like, if you're fitting it on a table, sticking out 15.2 centimeters on either side won't make it structurally unsound) Failing that, you could try adding height to your cage. It's less ideal than length but still more useful than nothing.

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Thanks for the info! She has a fleece toy made of strips that she sleeps in but the only place they could make a nest is on the bottom or in a food bowl, I think.

Its 2 of these put together
Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Flight Cage with Stand F040 Black Bird Cage, 31-Inch by 20-1/2-Inch by 53-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VCCaCbE4SZ4EY

If I had to do it again I would get 2 extra larges to put together instead of the f040 style. It would be even more room for them! But also fit better. My two put together have a crack in the bottom just big enough for a parrotlet to get through. Covering it is annoying.

Get lava ledges and defintely get a Sputnik. You'll see a lot of posts on here of ratties in their sputnik. They love them!

Have a family of 3 in this larger, and two in the smaller. Really like them, no complaints! and HUGE, easy assembly.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AQ228/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00176F5L0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We have this one

https://www.amazon.ca/Prevue-Pet-Products-Wrought-Hammertone/dp/B000FRV3M2/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?keywords=conure+cage&qid=1561946581&s=gateway&sprefix=conure+cag&sr=8-12

For toys I like these guys. They ship.

http://www.exoticwings.com/shoppe/

Make sure you get a variety of chewing/foraging and straight up dingle/loud toys

That's her travel cage. She has a much, much larger cage that she sleeps in at night, and a medium sized one that I take along with her travel cage when we skip town for a few days. When we're home, she's generally out of her cage on one of her two giant manzanita trees. Yes...she has two.

She won't use huddle huts, and even if she did I wouldn't give her one. They trigger nesting behavior in hens and can lead to egg laying, which can in turn lead to calcium deficiency at best and fatal egg binding at worst.

If it were 50, I'd put a blanket over her and be done, but my glass of water on the coffee table literally froze overnight. Not completely, but enough to form a skin. I don't care how many blankets you put over a cage, unless you happen to own a Quaker, that's too cold for a bird.

I appreciate your concern, but I've had Kai for almost ten years. I know how to take care of her.

I believe we have the same cage as the OP. We got it from Amazon. Prevue Pet Products Wrought... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00176F5L0?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

There is a nice cover available for it as well.

this is the cage I have for my 2 budgies. It has plenty of space for the two of them, plenty of perches and toys, and it’s big enough to where if they’re feeling more independent they have plenty of individual space too. I see a lot of other people with this cage as well. I honestly wouldn’t buy any other cage than this because it just works so perfectly.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002AR754/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1451450357&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX118_SY170_QL70&keywords=parrot+rope+perch&dpPl=1&dpID=31c-hzLsLFL&ref=plSrch

This is what I'm talking about I have one in all my birds cages. My bird is terrified of the springy rope I bought, but he's a cockatiel so it's a little intimidating. I think if you put a rope perch and a smaller like Java wood perch more towards the top you'll have a happy bird.

My budgies didn’t love to bath until I bought them that green bird bath. They use it as their watering dish and bath. You can buy it here! https://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Corporation-BLX0787-Quick-Lock/dp/B000I6ORHS?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_3

I think that cage looks good! It looks really similar to another cage I've seen recommended on here several times for tiels: https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484420740&sr=8-1&keywords=flight+cage


Are the birds you're adopting already bonded to each other? If not, you may want to keep them separated for a little while when you bring them home so that they can become tame to you.

It’s the XL flight cage here: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Companions-Large-Bird-Cage/dp/B00176F5L0?ref_=ast_bbp_dp

I’m very happy with it!

Noooo way. Flimsy and small. If you’re getting a bird you need to be willing to spend a little extra to give them the best life you can. This one is so worth the extra money.... https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FRV3M2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539903152&sr=8-1&keywords=parrot+cage+prevue&dpPl=1&dpID=41rvIjMEO1L&ref=plSrch

link to cage

I have this cage for my cockatiel and I love it.

It's 18x18x57 with a playtop as well. It was $150, but I got it on sale, and it usually runs between $300-400. She spends most days while I'm at work/in class in her cage, usually from about 8:30-9am to 4:30-5 pm but any time I'm home (nights, weekends) she is out. I really like this cage for her because she's a big climber, so it gives her a lot of vertical space.
Edit: Correct dimensions

So... about 4'x2' I'm guessing.

I assume it's the LENGTH that is the main issue. If you went only 1 more foot in depth, you could accommodate 6 finches. One more foot sticking out could likely be accommodated in a small space - even if it means rearranging something. (like, if you're fitting it on a table, sticking out 6 inches on either side won't make it structurally unsound) Failing that, you could try adding height to your cage. It's less ideal than length but still more useful than nothing.

Lixit Quick Lock Bird Bath https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I6ORHS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Totally worth it 😁

Yeah a bigger cage ASAP this one is good and cheap http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002UTZ040/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?qid=1398632507&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

This is a great one for two budgies/parakeets and is affordable IMHO.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005S6V4QK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JcMNDbM24ADCA

https://www.petsmart.com/bird/bowls-and-feeders/all-living-things-quick-lock-bird-crock-14053.html?cgid=400201

That is probably the same brand, it certainly operates the same, I have several of these too. The website just isn't cooperating in letting me find it. If you go to either of the large chain pet stores, they'd likely have them right next to these. The only real difference is instead of a deep crock mounted right down on the arm, it is a shallow dish on a bit of a plastic pedestal.

Edit: found it, that's Amazon but it should be at anyplace well stocked with bird stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Corporation-BLX0787-Quick-Lock/dp/B000I6ORHS/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=bird+bath+indoor&qid=1556387692&s=gateway&sr=8-6

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bird-Cage-Large-Play-Top-Bird-Parrot-Finch-Cage-Macaw-Cockatoo-Pet-Supplies-53/183090691660?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&psr=EY17&ie=UTF8&qid=1543256266&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=bird+cage

$24 difference between the two. the ebay one has about a 6"L x 4"W x 16"H difference less than the Prevue

which would you choose? im just sitting here waiting to purchase one of the two lol

Thanks for the response!

The budgies I bought were 1 month ago and two weeks ago.

Do you have any suggestions for cages? I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-Triple-Cockatiel-White/dp/B005S6V4QK?ref_=ast_bbp_dp

Do I need a bigger one?

Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Select Bird Cage Black Hammertone 3151BLK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FRV3M2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1TXZBb24GH2HV

We got this one for our black cap conure Ruby and she loves it.

I have one of these coconut hides and Saturn loves it, he's constantly climbing on it or in it.

Thank you so much! We are looking for a new set up for our bird. She currently has this: https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=sr_1_8?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1486051982&sr=1-8&keywords=bird+cage but it is getting rickety - the screws keep needing tightening. We want to replace it, but she barely uses the bottom half of the cage, aside from going down to the floor to pick at things she has dropped sometimes. We don't want to put her in something a lot smaller, and I understand the "buy the most cage you can get" policy - but cleaning something that you don't have to bend to the floor (yours vs ours) would be nice.

I would think this is not big enough.

The page shows that this is a finch/canary size cage.

My cockatiel has a rather large cage. In fact, it used to be my Senegals cage. It's about 22" wide and 45" tall by 18" deep.

You can find very good and inexpensive larger cages now where it used to take a lot of money to get a big cage.

The cage you are looking at doesn't have enough room for perches and toys or food dishes.


This size isn't a bad size for a cockatiel. I can't speak on the cage itself or how it's built but the size isn't horrible. I prefer them wider personally.

This is the cage I have for my canary, it’s really good at keeping his mess in his cage and not all over my floor lol

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vision-Cage-Birds-Regular-Medium/dp/B000K67UF2/ref=asc_df_B000PGRVQU/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=256160966863&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9836321009111271278&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007008&hvtargid=pla-318775629279&psc=1&th=1

When it comes to letting my bird fly I let him out of his cage.

It was a pretty good cage for my Green Cheek, but I ended up upgrading him to a bigger one. This is the one I ended up buying. The bars are little for flimsy, but not enough to effect anything. I would consider some flight space for your budgies!

https://www.amazon.com/JW-Comfy-Perch-Flexible-Multi-color/dp/B0002AR754

Rope bird perch things are fun. Rope wrapped wire so can make all sort of shelves and bridges.

Looks like the one I bought from Amazon.ca for my lovies. It comes in a couple colours (black and a hammered finish) and 2 sizes. Great cage, but does require a second set of hands to build the thing when it arrives in its flat-pack box :P

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007PO3AEC/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_cmkYBbXSS487H

here's the exact link to the one I have! :)

Would this be better?

Got it on Amazon for like 8 bucks

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007PO3AEC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527579465&sr=8-1&keywords=coconut+hide+gecko&dpPl=1&dpID=41hEkUoWkbL&ref=plSrch

Thanks everyone! Here is a link to his cage.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00C332AOG/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Way too small.

More like these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FRV3M2/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1492390373&sr=1-5&refinements=p_4%3APrevue+Hendryx&dpPl=1&dpID=41rvIjMEO1L&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B01BRCC94Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_37?ie=UTF8&qid=1492390494&sr=8-37-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=conure+bird+cage&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Cages-Parrot-58H21W17D-parrot/dp/B00CJTS75K

This is a very popular cage for multiple budgies. It has half inch bar spacing (don't go any bigger than that.) The model is F040, it's available in several places online.

Bird Carrier

This is the carrier I bought! Overall, I really like it. I’ve had it a little over three months, and I can take it anywhere. I would say I probably wouldn’t putting anything bigger than a cockatiel in there for trips longer than quick trips to the vet.

It's the HQ double flight, minus the stand and divider :)