We got our new cage

[lorilazerson]

We brought home our new cage for our new CAG. I keep looking in it hoping to see our baby, but to no avail. We still have about another 3 weeks. It looks so big without him and all his toys in it. I hung up a boing and put his food bowls in it. Now I'll have to start filling it with fun toys for him. We went with the bigger one: 67hx36Lx24d. It's really a beautiful cage and I think our little guy's going to love it!!!!!!
lori

[pippy]

Originally Posted by lorilazerson

We brought home our new cage for our new CAG. I keep looking in it hoping to see our baby, but to no avail.

Tee hee! I often just sit and stare into my cage! Won't be long til we both have a bird/two birds to look at as well as the toys!

[lorilazerson]

When will you be bringing home you new ones? The wait is so hard. I won't be able to visit our today, but my husband will later this afternoon. Tomorrow the whole family will go and visit.
The cage just seems so big.....I hope we made the right choice. I know everyone is saying the bigger the better, but I don't want him to get lost in there. The inside space is 51" high by 36" across and 24" deep. I guess once it's filled with toys and comfy perches and such, it won't seem so big afterall.
lori

[pippy]

Originally Posted by lorilazerson

When will you be bringing home you new ones? The wait is so hard.

Could well be bringing them home a week today! It all depends on Shinda (the younger of the two) and whether Lesley says he's ready to come home. Mojo is ready now, flying/landing wonderfully and fully weaned

I didn't get around to rearranging their cage today. I was busy decorating my lounge! I've been meaning to paint it for months and realised it was now or never with the birds coming home soon!

[pippy]

I spent ages last night rearranging the cage interior and I think I've about got it right!

Firstly, remember my CAGs both have damage to their feet courtesy of their Dad pruning their toes while in the nestbox!

I've left plenty of space in the top part of the cage for them to spread and flap their wings and have ensured there are both platforms and normal perches so both birds can rest comfortably.

I've made the lower part of the cage as exciting as possible to encourage full use of the space! I've put one of the platforms close to the bottom plus the rope perches can be easily reached if they want to perch down there.

I've tried to arrange it so there are no hard objects for them to hurt themselves on should they fall by keeping the concrete perches towards the top of the cage and the rope perches at the bottom.

There's room for them to walk about on the floor and I've put a toy box down there.

If once they're in there is something obvious about the layout which doesn't work then I'll change it as necessary.

Do bear in mind they'll only be shut in when we're all out or when it's unsafe for them to be out. They'll also have a big playstand, a smaller one on my desk and a couple of ropes hanging from the ceiling.


















More photos HERE.

[pippy]

I've added a video clip as this will give a better idea of the layout!

CAGE READY! on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[lorilazerson]

Wow, your cage looks awesome!!!!! You're so sweet to do a video also. You've given me some great ideas. We're getting ready to leave to visit our little one right now and I think we're going to get some of those comfy perches for his cage. I'm hoping only 2 more wks 'til he gets to come home. keep your fingers crossed.
lori

[pippy]

Originally Posted by lorilazerson

Wow, your cage looks awesome!!!!! You're so sweet to do a video also. You've given me some great ideas. We're getting ready to leave to visit our little one right now and I think we're going to get some of those comfy perches for his cage. I'm hoping only 2 more wks 'til he gets to come home. keep your fingers crossed.
lori

Enjoy your visit and don't forget more pics please!

I think it's great to take inspiration from others when we need ideas for our cages. Really has helped me looking at pics of various cages here and on other forums.

[Sprecker]

Wow Pippy. Alot of stuff in there. It's really nice but I have to just add that your grey will be spending almost all of his time near the top of the cage or at eye level (if they can). All the toys and rope perches you have near/on the bottom will get covered in poop really soon. Another thing you have to think about is if s/he loses his grip and falls. This can happen for alot of reasons exspecially in a new home with new sounds. Do you want him/her falling on some of those toys? Or if he falls and flapps his wings will the get caught on any of it? They also like to hang upside down and swing on things while flapping their wings. Is there room for this kind of play?
I am not saying this to be mean or anything but I did the same thing when I first brought my CAG home. I got a huge cage and filled it with as many toys as I could. I Put them everywhere. After about two days I was taking half of them out and only haging them from the top and near perches.
I would like to offer advice and advise that you put a few perches in and the water/food dishes. When you bring the Grey home put him/her in it. Then add all those wonder full toys around him/her. This will give you a better idea about how to set the cage up, how s/he will move around in it, what will frighten him/her, what will make her happy and how much room s/he may need. This is what I eventually had to do. Take everything out and buid it around him.
I am no expert and it seems like you are very proud of your work as you should be. It looks fun in there. You may have the perfect cage and you put him/her in it and s/he is in heaven. I just thought I would share my experience with you so if it does have to be redone you won't be too dissapointed.
Cheers.

[pippy]

Originally Posted by Sprecker

Wow Pippy. Alot of stuff in there. It's really nice but I have to just add that your grey will be spending almost all of his time near the top of the cage or at eye level (if they can). All the toys and rope perches you have near/on the bottom will get covered in poop really soon. Another thing you have to think about is if s/he loses his grip and falls. This can happen for alot of reasons exspecially in a new home with new sounds. Do you want him/her falling on some of those toys? Or if he falls and flapps his wings will the get caught on any of it? They also like to hang upside down and swing on things while flapping their wings. Is there room for this kind of play?
I am not saying this to be mean or anything but I did the same thing when I first brought my CAG home. I got a huge cage and filled it with as many toys as I could. I Put them everywhere. After about two days I was taking half of them out and only haging them from the top and near perches.
I would like to offer advice and advise that you put a few perches in and the water/food dishes. When you bring the Grey home put him/her in it. Then add all those wonder full toys around him/her. This will give you a better idea about how to set the cage up, how s/he will move around in it, what will frighten him/her, what will make her happy and how much room s/he may need. This is what I eventually had to do. Take everything out and buid it around him.
I am no expert and it seems like you are very proud of your work as you should be. It looks fun in there. You may have the perfect cage and you put him/her in it and s/he is in heaven. I just thought I would share my experience with you so if it does have to be redone you won't be too dissapointed.
Cheers.

All advice welcomed!

I've been advised to maybe remove the nutcase which I've stuck some willow through until they're older to prevent possible injury so I'll do that before they come home.

The toybox I've put on the floor of the cage I could also take out and put on the playtop instead seeing as the birds will be out more than in then they can choose whether or not to get on top of the cage and grab a few toys!

Funnily enough it was after taking advice from their breeder that I decided to keep the top of the cage relatively free from clutter because she said they will want to be up there and stretch and flap their wings. Mojo's perching abilities are fine but Shinda is definitely preferring to opt for the platforms Lesley has in their cage for them. I've got two platforms and a cargo net to give him a choice.

Both birds enjoy exploring the bottom of their cage at the moment so I do want to have a few things down there but have kept hard objects (like the hard perches) up above and only put the softer rope perches near the bottom.

Shinda is spending more time at the bottom of the cage (he has more damage to his toes than Mojo has) so I do need to have a ledge and perching areas down there for him.

I think what I'll do is remove the nutcase and toy box and review the situation from there.

Thank you for your advice!