Finally some very overdue pictures...

[Derk]

Colt Wonderful pictures. I have mostly 30 x 18 breeders. What cage would you say is your favourite and why, if you do not mind?

[Colt]

Derk - Oh that's a hard question...all the cages have things I like and dislike about them. And as you can see I have a lot of cage styles, but I'll try to name some pros and cons for each...

24x16x16 - Honestly these are a bit on the small side. They work well for pairs of Societies and Zebras, and I've had Gouldians and Shaft-tails breed in them, but they tend to do better in larger cages. These are perfect however for selling birds at bird marts or shows.

30x18x18 - Practically perfect in every way for breeding most of the species I work with, but I generally keep Gouldians in them. There is more space for perches and greenery and the birds can move about more. Also some of these have breeder box doors, so the nests don't take up room inside the cage.

Now the biggest downside to both of those cages in my opinion is this: I do not like cleaning cage grates. Like I hate cleaning cage grates. In all my other cages, I put paper over the grate. However in those sized cages I find removing the tray with paper in it to disturb the birds far less than me pulling paper out and putting paper back in through the doors. Also there is no chance of letting them out by mistake.

Prevue Single and Double Flights - The perfect cage for a small community set-up or resting/juvenile grow-out cages. They can be used for breeding, and some species like the Gouldians, Owls, and Shaft-tails breed the best in these larger cages. However, if you end up with more than two pairs in a single and then they are all at each others throats when they are breeding. The double flight definitely has double the space and allows the birds the most exercise and space.

Custom-made cages - (The ones with the waxbills in them.) Good cages and well-designed. I wish they were a few inches taller, but for the most part I like them.

Dome E-Z Clean Flight - Great for one or two pairs of birds. Initially my first cage where I had three pairs in the house. I hate the doors on this cage. Do not put a bird in there that you will ever want to catch. I literally just open the doors and shoo them out. It's easier to catch them in the birdroom than in that domed flight.

30x18x36 ? - Too tall and too many doors. Would probably be great for one or two pairs of waxbills.

White stackable breeders Sally asked about - So far I really like them. Except that I have to put the paper under the grates. When the wind comes through the windows on that side of the bird room it blows the paper around and the birds nor I much like that.

[Derk]

Colt
Thanks for all the info. I know exactly what you mean about changing the papers on the 30" breeder cages. My birds have to put up with me removing the newspaper because like you I hate cleaning grates. If it was just a few cages, no problem; but I have about 20 cages so no thanks. I have just started letting birds keep their eggs. I have decided when they nest, to use paper towel. I can cover the grate, and there is no noise when I remove it.

The Pervue single and double flights - look the same as the HQ, A &E, and King cage? ~60" x 18 or 21"

Do you not have any of these cages, or are they the ones you referred to as white stacking? I think this is what Sally was looking for, but I could be wrong. http://www.americas-pet-store.com/a-&-e ... -cage.html

Do you use anything, plastic, plexi, vinyl on the backs or sides to keep some of the mess in? Or do just accept the fact that 'Mess Happens Everywhere" when you have finches?

[Sally]

Do you not have any of these cages, or are they the ones you referred to as white stacking? I think this is what Sally was looking for, but I could be wrong. http://www.americas-pet-store.com/a-&-e ... -cage.html

Those cages look similar, but I don't believe they are as heavy-duty as the cages that Colt and I have, which are made by HQ. You will notice that the front doors are similar to the HQ single and double flights, very different from the A&E cages.

Here is a topic I did some time ago on my HQ towers, as I call them, as they are four cages tall. Including the stand, they are 93" tall, which leaves only 3" to my 8' ceiling.

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... es#p261975

[Derk]

Sally
Thanks Sally. I just grabbed the first similar picture but it is good to know you have and like the HQ cages. They are the ones I have been getting.

[Colt]

I agree with Sally. They are similar, but not the same. Much thicker bars and better made in my opinion although the set I have is quite used...lol

In regards to mess, well it's inevitable. I do however use the vacation, or hopper-style feeders for almost all my cages to cut down on the mess. That has greatly reduced the amount of seeds that are in the floor.

Unfortunately there isn't much I can do about the Starling's poop. It isn't atrocious, but it is big. As is the dove and button quail poop. I have also noticed that in the cages that have paper on the grate all the mess gets to roll right off the paper into the floor rather than be contained under the grate in the tray. This is another reason in all but the largest flights (with ground-dwelling birds) I've put the paper back in the trays.

[MiaCarter]

Lovelies lovelies everywhere!

The strawberry in the very first photo is gorgeous!

[Derk]

Colt
Thanks Colt. I have also been using the hoppers for about a year. Love to see all those hulls when I empty the plastic 'catcher' at the bottom. I paper the grate and the tray. Hulls and feathers still accumulate around the edges just outside the cage and get stuck between it and the stand however. Just making sure I am not missing some trick of the trade. Also why I am considering various things I might line the inside of the cage with, or changing to different/larger flights.