Cage size for young female African Grey

[JohnF]

I have a 4 month old female. I brought her home 2 weeks ago.

A shop that specializes in birds recommended the Coast Cages #14 for medium parrots. 22"W x 16 1/4"D x 23 1/4"H, 7/8" spacing, 9 & 11 gauge wire.

They said this size is good up to a year old. Other folks in my area have said this is too small, even for a young bird. With a single toy, plus a rope loop, and 4 dishes (water, vegetables, seed mixture, snacks) it does seem crowded.

I have heard that 36" width is good for an adult, but have received different opinions about whether this is too big for a baby.

Appreciate any advice. I am going to a Bird Mart in So Calif next week-end, and would like to be ready to get a new cage, if that is best way to go.

Thanks,

John

[sugarbeth]

Get the bigger one. Just put the perches low until she's past the clumsy stage. :)

[JohnF]

Thanks for the reply - I am also interested in comments on the width from African Grey owners/experts. I will post in the general area in hope it gets more attention.

[shibatimes3]

I didn't think they grow much in size beyond 3 months... they just get heavier

[my-africangrey-echo]

Hello JohnF very nice to meet you and welcome to our forum!

Now answers to your questions!

Originally Posted by JohnF

A shop that specializes in birds recommended the Coast Cages #14 for medium parrots. 22"W x 16 1/4"D x 23 1/4"H, 7/8" spacing, 9 & 11 gauge wire.

They said this size is good up to a year old. Other folks in my area have said this is too small, even for a young bird. With a single toy, plus a rope loop, and 4 dishes (water, vegetables, seed mixture, snacks) it does seem crowded.

Yes a bigger cage is better!! She is probably not going to get much bigger. Birds grow to their full size very quickly so they look older then they are in the wild. Plus why would you want to spend several hundred $$ on a cage only to replace it with a more costly one a year later. Plus you need lots of toys in the cage not only one. Your grey will quickly grow board if has only one toy to play with. Echo has about 10 toys in his cage and several more outside his cage that get rotated every few weeks. That doesnt count the bin of toys I add and remove at different times and his toy box I let him play with when he's out on my coffee table! No he's not at all spoiled! They need to have enough room in the cage to stretch their wings out without any toys in the way.

Originally Posted by JohnF

I have heard that 36" width is good for an adult, but have received different opinions about whether this is too big for a baby.

Echo is a TAG so he is a abit smaller than a CAG and my cage was the minimum size for a CAG his cage is front to back 22" side to side 31" and top to bottom 43" He has plenty of room during the day when we are not home and when we are home he spends all his time either on top of his cage in his play area or on one of his play gyms.

Originally Posted by JohnF

(water, vegetables, seed mixture, snacks)

Minimize on the seed mixture you should feed pellets and only add a small % of seed to their diet for seed is not healthy for them it is more like candy to them.

Originally Posted by JohnF

I am going to a Bird Mart in So Calif next week-end

Anything and everything you by at a bird mart must be thoroughly cleaned before getting anywhere close to your bird. You also should change your clothes and wash your hands before coming in contact with your baby. Bird illness are way to easy to bring home from a bird fair.. Use wt vinegar as a disinfectant for many soaps are toxic to our birds..


Hope this helps!
Chris

[JohnF]

Thanks very much - much excellent information.

John