Building a cage

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 3:36 pm

I'm in the process of building a very handsome cage for our zebras with my uncle and husband. It'll as big as we can go with our small apartment. It's going to have doors only on the top, a built in full spectrum light along the top, a removable bottom, a guard around the bottom to keep stuff in, and nice molding details. With all the work that we are doing to make the frame itself very attractive we would really like the wire to look nice too. I bought a roll of regular galvanized steel hardware cloth but it will look so industrial next to the detailed woodworking. I've found a few places with PVC coated black hardware cloth with 1/2" mesh but what I have found online either has too little information for me to trust the retailer, or they are extremely expensive. I know a few people on here have built aviaries so I thought perhaps they could share if they have any idea where I need to go.

Post by **Sally** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:39 pm

C. E. Shepherd Wire Co. makes wonderful PVC-coated wire mesh, but it is not cheap. They are at www.ceshepherd.com.

There is a site at www.backyardaviary.com. This man, Ron Banks, builds aviaries and sells wire, etc. However, the last time I checked, there was a note on the website that said it was for information only, Ron Banks is no longer available for contact. That does not sound good.

fairestfinches · Post by **fairestfinches** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:34 pm

Becca,

If you have a farm & home supply in your area they should have what you are looking for (although I do not how inexpensive it is). Lowe's also carries poly mesh (all plastic mesh in the garden section) which is what we use on our aviary walk-ins. It cost about $11.00 for a roll of 3' wide x 15' long.

A big problem that you can face with uncoated wire is that toes can get hung up in it because of the wires weld points, and were that the weld is not very good. Causing toes to be broken or lost, as well as broken legs. We had it happen causing the switch to the plastic mesh. Hard lesson learned for us.

Sean

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:50 am

Thanks for both responses.

That is pretty scary about the birds losing toes and stuff! I know that regular steel wire is rough, I had hoped to get woven mesh to eliminate most welding points but I hadn't found any yet. I will consider the plastic mesh. My only concern with that is how long it will last. This cage is built to last and while we are making the bottom removable for repair and cleaning, but I don't want to have to change out the mesh.

S. W. Houston · Post by **S. W. Houston** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:00 pm

beccafigs,
Have one Cage that is made out of the Plastic Coated Wire like Sally mentioned.
It’s VERY durable, and malleable, and looks sorta clunky with ambient light, but…
If you were to light the inside of the Cage, with the room lights down, it almost disappears and shows your content and Birds well.
Kinda “mood” stuff !

Have a good Day !

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:46 am

It will have lighting within the cage, for sure. Where did you find your coated wire mesh? I've looked online and shipping is SO expensive (makes sense, it's heavy) I'd rather find it in a store and haul it around myself.

S. W. Houston · Post by **S. W. Houston** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:34 am

beccafigs,
Ur right on the HEAVY! I wish I could give you a decent reference as to where to buy some Stock. The Cage was given to me, and had been hand made. They used some Stainless circular rings, to attach the sides/top/bottom (sorta like Hog Rings). Whoever made mine, was good, it’s really a sturdy piece.

I sorta have a picture of it at:
http://www.finchforum.com/gallery/displ ... fullsize=1

I was trying to show FeatheHarp, how I used some Door and Divider Curtains in my Cages, but the Black Material I used, is NOT photogenic, and you really have to look close to see them. However you might be able to see a little something of the Cage, if that helps any?

I’m sure with the right “touch”, this stuff would be great in a nice Cage/Aviary, but, where it really shines, is it’s imperviousness to Chemicals. After I get my Clutch on their way, I’ll probably set it aside, for a Hospital Cage, heaven forbid !

You probably could dip this thing in Acid and it wouldn’t hurt it, so full strength Bleach for sanitizing, would be NO problem.

If you used the Wire behind some nice Trim, where your eye wasn’t focused on the wire itself, I think one could really make it look nice. But, by it’s self, no way ! Sorry !

Have a good Day !

S. W. Houston · Post by **S. W. Houston** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:38 am

beccafigs,
Ur right on the HEAVY! I wish I could give you a decent reference as to where to buy some Stock. The Cage was given to me, and had been hand made. They used some Stainless circular rings, to attach the sides/top/bottom (sorta like Hog Rings). Whoever made mine, was good, it’s really a sturdy piece.

I sorta have a picture of it at:
http://www.finchforum.com/gallery/displ ... fullsize=1

I was trying to show FeatheHarp, how I used some Door and Divider Curtains in my Cages, but the Black Material I used, is NOT photogenic, and you really have to look close to see them. However you might be able to see a little something of the Cage, if that helps any?

I’m sure with the right “touch”, this stuff would be great in a nice Cage/Aviary, but, where it really shines, is it’s imperviousness to Chemicals. After I get my Clutch on their way, I’ll probably set it aside, for a Hospital Cage, heaven forbid !

You probably could dip this thing in Acid and it wouldn’t hurt it, so full strength Bleach for sanitizing, would be NO problem.

If you used the Wire behind some nice Trim, where your eye wasn’t focused on the wire itself, I think one could really make it look nice. But, by it’s self, no way, it's pretty Ugly stuff ! Sorry !

Have a good Day !

Post by **Sally** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:14 pm

beccafigs, where are you located? The C.E. Shepherd Wire Co. is located in Houston. Yes, this stuff is really heavy, but it will last. The black color is nice, because the birds show up well, and it looks like Houston has the 1"x1/2" size mesh, which works great for finches. The PVC-coated wire is LOTS more expensive, but if you can afford it, that is the best you can have. The plastic mesh certainly will work on an indoor cage or aviary, as you don't have to protect against predators. There is a company, KW Cages, that is in California, and they sell all kinds of cage-building supplies (I forgot about them

). Here is their website: www.kwcages.com.

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:33 pm

Sally- I'm located in Phoenix, AZ and while I drive a lot, Houston is a bit of a drive for me. I have checked that company out though and I love some of the options they have. I am trying to keep costs down a little bit, but we will see. I'm already $200 in and it's NOT a huge cage.

The sucky thing is that if I order I don't just have to worry about the cost of the wire, I will have a huge amount to pay in shipping.

Houston- Something like the wire in your cage would work for me. We are using some nice decorative trim so it would help draw the eye away from the wire. The curtains are an interesting idea. What exactly is that for? Is it to keep them from flying out when you open doors or something?

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:44 pm

Sally- THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the link to the store in California!! I love that you can buy by the foot versus by the roll, and it is pretty close to Camp Pendleton (could do the drive in a couple hours) and my husband could pick up an order from them, or I could get it while he is working in a couple weeks when I am back up there again. I already emailed them, I'm SO excited!

Post by **Sally** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:55 pm

beccafigs, I am SO glad that place is close to you (at least within reasonable driving distance)! I don't know why I didn't think of them earlier, but till I searched their site just now, I didn't really know where they were located. I have so many finch sites marked under my favorites list that I am having to subdivide the list, I have to scroll down the list now. Woo-hoo, I'm excited for you!!

S. W. Houston · Post by **S. W. Houston** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 1:18 pm

beccafigs,

Exactly!, on the protection against them flying out. The Right picture shows how the "open" are around my hand, is covered, where one can focus on getting the work done, and not have to worry too much, about them flying out of the open space around my Arm.

The larger Curtain is used inside the Cage (like a wall-from floor to ceiling and front to back), making a division horizontally, where it becomes two Cages. Before I got some extra Cages, I needed to separate an aggressive Male from the others, and just came up with a quick fix, till I got set.

Also, I should point your attention to the "Clip" I have on the ends of the Perch. This Plastic Coated wire is VERY malleable. In some parts of the Cage, the wire bulges out, or in, and there doesn’t seem like there’s any way to prevent it, on large runs. So I came up with the clip, to pull the wire into the slot on the Perch, capturing it, where the Perch wouldn’t fall. But, if you’re just going to use a large piece for the front of your Cage, you may not run into that problem.

Have a good Day !

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