Living Quarters

A pet parrot's living quarters include its main cage, its playcages, playpens, & your home where he resides. Cleanliness of these areas are very important, so as the size of the bird's main cage. The general rule is that your bird's cage must be two times the size of the bird's full wing span, to allow it to flap safely in its cage. Depending on the type of bird and how many toys and accessories you put in there, you might require one larger than that measurement.

Zachary uses a Cockatoo size Dome Top California Cage as his main cage that measures 32"x23"x41" on the inside, total height is 61", and bar spacing is 3/4". His playcage in our family room is the Amazon size Dome Top California Cage that measures 24"x20"x34", total height 54", and bar spacing is 3/4". This Amazon size cage is too small as an Amazon parrot's main cage. Zachary hangs out on it with the door open, plays and eats there only while we are home and when he's having fun in the family room. When we're out for a few hours, he stays in his main cage - where he has more room to play and flap around, as well as eat and rest.

Our Senegal, Sidney, uses the Amazon size Dome Top California Cage as his main cage, that measures 24"x20"x34", total height 54", and bar spacing is 3/4". That is perfect for him, as although Senegals are only 9 inch parrots, they are very energetic and playful.

Our 6 inch Lovebird, Kimo, uses the Belize Dome Top California Cage that measures 18"x18"x28", total height 54", and bar spacing 1/2". We have literally tried Kimo in 10-12 different small bird cages over the years and have found this to be the best for him - based on his size, energy level and overall contentment. He's been using this now for almost 2 years and we know that we have finally found him the perfect cage.

We truly feel (with no personal benefits whatsoever) that California Cages make a wonderful, if not one of the best, parrot cages available. The paint has not peeled in years, the make is solid, sturdy and well designed, the door latches are well made to keep birds from opening them from the inside, & the colors are mild & blends in well with most house colors. We tend to prefer the Dome top, versus the Playtop - for one thing it gives the bird more room in their cages with the dome rather than a flat solid top. Secondly it's better for the birds to have a playpen that is lower in height than the top of their cages.

Here is an example of Zachary's main cage:

He also uses two other playpens around the house so that he can be a part of the family activities.

Zachary also uses an outdoor cage during warm days for just about an hour or so a day. The cage we use is a converted Sierra Rabbit Hutch. It measures 48"x38"X24", overall height 48" with stand. It is made of wood, has a solid wood protection in the back, and the wire is 1/2"x1.5". Upon getting it, we disinfected the cage, and painted the wood parts with non-leaded paint to seal any cracks. Here is an example of his outdoor cage:

Cleanliness of a parrot's living quarters cannot be emphasized enough. Their cages and playareas must be cleaned at least a couple of times a day. Their cage must be cleaned thoroughly before they go to bed every night, soiled papers be removed in the morning when they wake up, and papers replaced during the day as needed. Zachary's cage gets a full cleanup in the evenings before he goes to bed, with an extra thick layer at the part he normally poops on at night. That thick layer is removed and grate is wiped down every morning when he wakes up. His playpens and other cages are cleaned at the end of the day, grates are wiped down as needed a few times a day. Cage must be disinfected at least once a week. Here is an example of what a clean cage should look like - not weekly, but daily:

A healthy bird's cage bottom should be clean like this first thing in the morning, and in the evening before the bird goes to bed. Fresh foods must not be left in cages overnight.

A bird's living quarters will affect it's overall health - which if badly managed, will bring about all kinds of diseases. Aspergillosis for example, is cultured from unfiltered air and ventilation systems, contaminated and moldy foods and contaminated bedding. It grows rapidly in damp, dark conditions with poor ventilation. Bird poop should not be left on cage grate or papers for more than a few hours. Wipe grate down regularly and throw out papers that are soiled with fresh food and bird feces. A bird's immune system can also be worsen around conditions that are not well cleaned, which can lead to many other diseases and behavioral problems.