cage trays

[cindy]

http://www.critter-cages.com/index.php? ... x&cPath=10

http://clover.forest.net/kwcages/index.html

Cage trays you can order.

[debbie276]

Debbie, wonder if you could make some sort of nest box using this. Perhaps even a feeder that has high sides to prevent food spillage.

Not sure if I would do nest boxes only because I think it would be to slippery and not as solid as a wood box but there are those that make nest boxes out of milk cartons so I don't see why it couldn't be done. Feeding stations sounds very promising, anything to keep the mess to a minimum is a good thing.

[cindy]

Having not worked with something like this before is there a certain glue adhesive you recommend? Would an aquarium non toxic caulk or silicone be alright to use as long as they did not have access to it? I would let it dry completely before putting it in the cage.

[debbie276]

I don't see why not, I used silicone sealant in every joint of the aviary and all the cages we ever made and had no issues. All my cages are built with solid backs and sides to minimize the mess that goes outside their area.

[cindy]

Debbie, Thank you again for your product suggestion!! Next time I am in HDepot I will have to pick up some and try it out!

[moonrise]

There's a cage dealer at our bird fairs that sells 30" trays, but I've never seen them selling the 24" ones. Maybe they can order them; I'm not sure.

I've seen some 24" ones on eBay a few times, but it would've been cheaper to buy a whole new case of cages.

What I did ... and it's not 100% perfect but it serves the purpose ... is buy some cafeteria trays.

Two 14x10" trays placed side-by-side will fit under a 24" cage. There is a bit of a gap, but with a careful placement of perches and food cups, the stuff that falls through can be kept to a minimum. If you watch eBay, you can sometimes find them by the dozen fairly inexpensively. I just bought 26 of them for $3 plus shipping, but I got lucky on that one.

Two 18x14" trays placed side-by-side will fit under a 30" cage. Again, there's a bit of a gap, but it's pretty easy to work around it. I got them off Amazon for $4.16 each. I also made some custom cages out of hardware cloth that the 18x14" trays fit exactly.

What I like best is that both sizes will fit into my dishwasher, and they come out looking like new. I don't have to ask DH to take them down the hill and wash them with the water hose. (We live on a very, very steep hill, and since I have a bad knee, it's hard for me to go up and down the steps.) DH already works long hours, so I hated asking him to clean up after my birds on top of a regular job. ;)

The trays also come in handy for carrying all the food and water cups to the kitchen to be washed. They're virtually indestructible. I wash them on the hottest setting, on the low rack, and they still look brand new.

[ac12]

Cafeteria tray, that is a GOOD idea.
And should be relatively easy to find. I think I saw it at Target.

[cindy]

Gary, try a restaurant supply place. They may even have larger sizes!

[ac12]

For my quarantine cage, I don't want a large cage.
It has to squeeze/fit into my bathroom, which is already small. I tried and can't fit the 24x16 cage. I was originally thinking 12x16, based on 1/2 of a 24x16 tray. My only concern is the corners. The cafetiera trays are rounded in the corners, making for a spot where the poop will fall past the tray.

hmmmm, now you guys have me thinking.
I remember my mothers cookie trays had fairly sharp corners.
Off to the store this week, to check out trays

Thanks for the ideas guys.

[DanteD716]

I REALLY needed a tray for my homemade cage, great ideas guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lou]

Gary,
check the dollar stores
lou

[nelloyello11]

KW cages sells a few different size trays for rabbit cages. The bottom of this page: http://clover.forest.net/kwcages/index.html

Klubertranz is another source, with multiple sizes available: http://www.klubertanz.com/images/Klubertanz_Pg19.pdf

I have ordered things from both sources and would recommend.

[lou]

Gary,
Why don't you just buy a small cage
lou

[moonrise]

The rounded edges of the cafeteria trays haven't been a problem for me. There IS a small gap in the corners, but not as much as it would seem. My birds' bottoms ( ) don't generally get into the VERY corners of the cages due to the way the perches are laid out.

Awhile back I made a cage that fits a 9x13" foil cookie pan. It's only large enough for a hospital cage, but it works well.

(I like playing with hardware cloth, if you can't tell. LOL!)

If you want to buy a pre-made hospital cage, Morton Jones has some decent small cages for $8.50 + shipping. They come with food cups, perches, a swing, and a seed tray. I bought 4 of them awhile back, and use them for hospital cages and transportation cages. They're not top-of-the-line cages, but for the money, they can't be beat. I think they have an even smaller size that's a couple of dollars cheaper, but I haven't bought any of those. ETA: Here's a link: http://www.mortonjones.com/list.php?tl= ... ategory=62 They have the $8.50 ones, plus some $6.50 ones.

Speaking of Morton Jones ... I don't see any seed trays listed on their website, but perhaps they could order them. They carry practically everything else!

(no affiliation)

[moonrise]

Regarding the rounded corners ... here are a couple of quick photos of the trays laying on my sewing/cutting mat, which has grid lines on it. The gaps in the corners are actually pretty small.