What's The Problem With Round Cages?

[Amazon1610]

So I've read here and there that round cages can be damaging to a birds mental health. To confirm this I wanted to float the question to you all.

So why exactly are round cage unhealthy for birds? What are the effects on birds behavior wise? Have you had any experience with using them? And as a speculative question: why are they still made if they're so harmful to birds.

[Flight Feathers]

Round cages are far to up and down. My saying is “birds aren’t helicopters.” Cages need to be nice and long so the birds can fly across. Round cages are made with no thought to the poor bird that will have to live inside it... I’ve also heard that it can be scary for the birds because there are no corners so they can feel threatened (This is just something I heard) However I do use round cages for separation cages or for when I have sick Turks or budgies but they only stay in the cage for a couple of days.

[Fraza]

Following on from what flightfeathers said they also are hard for the birds to land on the wire as the bars are curved this therefore damaged there feet because when you stick your hand in to change food and water etc they fly to the bars and they’re toes are in an awkward position that damage them

[Icearstorm]

Amazon1610

It's also an issue of geometry; a round cage is kind of like a square cage with the corners cut off. In effect, you could be losing close to 1/4 the volume. For example:

A square base with side lengths of 1 foot would give you 1 square foot of area. A=b^2
A circular base with a diameter of 1 foot would give you around 3/4 square feet. A=πr^2 or π(d/2)^2

Both cages would fill a 1-foot by 1-foot space in your house, but so long as the height is the same, the square cage will give more flying space for the bird.


Adding to what Flight Feathers said, corners and can help the bird feel more secure. Corners are often thicker, making them appear more solid. Birds may think that they can be ambushed from behind in open spaces, so a solid object behind them should help them feel more protected. This why it is recommended for a cage to have at least one solid wall or hiding place.

Round cages are still made because people buy them; not everyone does the research. So long is something is profitable, businesses will continue selling the product, even if it is inadequate.

[Fraza]

Icearstorm just to add to u just as cigarets are still sold even though they are terrible

[Amazon1610]

Round cages are far to up and down. My saying is “birds aren’t helicopters.” Cages need to be nice and long so the birds can fly across. Round cages are made with no thought to the poor bird that will have to live inside it... I’ve also heard that it can be scary for the birds because there are no corners so they can feel threatened (This is just something I heard) However I do use round cages for separation cages or for when I have sick Turks or budgies but they only stay in the cage for a couple of days.

I love your saying! You're right, most birds, just by my observation, prefer room to fly horizontally. I know now that finches and canaries in particular absolutely need lots of room length wise because they fly often. And yeah, I'm sure housing them in round cages in an emergency for a few days wouldn't kill them, and it might save you money since pet stores typically sell a few small, cheap ones. At least mine does.

[Amazon1610]

Following on from what flightfeathers said they also are hard for the birds to land on the wire as the bars are curved this therefore damaged there feet because when you stick your hand in to change food and water etc they fly to the bars and they’re toes are in an awkward position that damage them

Wow I would never have thought of that. And I see what you're saying. Using them for a few days probably wouldn't be much of a problem, but people do house birds permanently or for long periods of time in them. Similar to cigarettes, long time usage could be extremely damaging.

[Amazon1610]

Amazon1610

It's also an issue of geometry; a round cage is kind of like a square cage with the corners cut off. In effect, you could be losing close to 1/4 the volume. For example:

A square base with side lengths of 1 foot would give you 1 square foot of area. A=b^2
A circular base with a diameter of 1 foot would give you around 3/4 square feet. A=πr^2 or π(d/2)^2

Both cages would fill a 1-foot by 1-foot space in your house, but so long as the height is the same, the square cage will give more flying space for the bird.


Adding to what Flight Feathers said, corners and can help the bird feel more secure. Corners are often thicker, making them appear more solid. Birds may think that they can be ambushed from behind in open spaces, so a solid object behind them should help them feel more protected. This why it is recommended for a cage to have at least one solid wall or hiding place.

Round cages are still made because people buy them; not everyone does the research. So long is something is profitable, businesses will continue selling the product, even if it is inadequate.

Thank you for the math. And very true about the corners bow that I think about it. My parakeets love sleeping near the corners, and they particularly spend lots of time sitting on a mirror-perch, I assume because of the security it offers. And yes it's very unfortunate that businesses sell products for the profit even when they know it could be dangerous and don't provide any warnings or suggestions on them.

[Fraza]

Amazon1610 yep it’s weird isn’t it same with certain plastic perches and stuff

[Dave]

I also think that ANY all-wire cage is a problem. I've seen flighty, nervous birds calm down when they're put in a box cage, with only the front being wire. They feel much more secure, I think, without seeing things come at them from all sides.

I had a large plastic cage once, and the bird in there were bouncing around like ping-pong balls. I painted the insides with flat paint, so it was opaque from all sides except the front. The bird calmed right down.

[Fraza]

Dave I agree aswell I have 3 pairs of birds in breeding cages and they aren’t half as scared as my other two pairs in open cages. However what’s weird is the ones breeding in the aviary are the least scared ???

[Zebrafincher]

I use the smaller cages to take my birds to the vet...as theyre much lighter. The flight cages are too heavy to move

[Dave]

Fraza, I've noticed that as well. Besides some breeding cages, I have a large walk-in aviary. The birds in there can just scoot to the other end when I enter. They don't show any panic at all.

[Fraza]

Dave yea it’s true sometimes they’re just next to my shoulder munching on cuttle bone and am like hi and then it flutters over into the plants/ corners like u said they must just feel safe

[Icearstorm]

Fraza

Yep, that's exactly what I had in mind. The cigarette companies even made up their own "research" that said that cigarettes weren't harmful. Now a similar thing is happening with highly processed food and pesticide manufacturers in the US, even though independent studies have shown that some of those products are slowly killing us.