FINCHforum

star has asked about some cages she is interested in, the HQ quad stack.

I have an older version of this, which is four cages high, but it may help anyone who is interested in the quad stack. This cage setup works best with a little larger bird, like parrotlets, or even larger finches. The people who sold me these towers raised Gouldians in them.

The cages are 40x20x20 each level, with a removable divider, which if used will make cages 20x20x20. I use the cages without the divider. This leaves a 5/8" gap where the divider would go. I close this gap with quarter round painted to match the cages, held in place with zip ties in the back and mini bungee cords in the front.

The cages also have a removable grate, but if you choose not to use the grate, some modifications have to be made to close up the gap in front. I had plexiglass strips cut to size and attached them with strips of velcro. A much cheaper way would be to cut wood strips to fit, paint them, and they could be ziptied in place.

The finish is very slick, so it is easy to keep the grate clean if you choose to use it. One other note, if you choose not to use the grate--you must put the grate back in while you clean the bottom level of cages, otherwise it is wide open when you pull out the tray and your birds will be out in a second.

There is not enough room in between cages for even the slimmest of lights. I bought 18" slim under-cabinet lights at Walmart and ziptie them in place on the back of the cages. These could have been put at the two ends, too. The top level of cages can be lit by whatever you choose to put on the top. With my stacks, they come within 4" of the ceiling (8'), so I put a slim tubular light on top.

Sally do they make the 8 cage towers anymore? I have only seen the 6 cage towers so far.

That looks awesome Sally! How do you check the nests in the top cages? With a stepladder, I'm guessing. I'm only 5'1".

cindy, I haven't seen the 8-cage towers anywhere, and I haven't even seen the 6-cage towers with 1/2" bar spacing.

Liz, I do have to use a 3-step stepstool to get to the top level (I'm 5'5"--and shrinking with age!). I can barely reach the feeder openings to slide in a dish of eggfood, anything else requires the stepstool.

Sally, this is the site for 2 different 6 cage stackers with 3/8" bar spacing

http://www.americas-pet-store.com/detai ... /2277.html

http://www.birdscomfort.com/cage_triple_vista.html

This is a 4 cage stacker with smaller doors 3/8 bar spacing

http://www.americas-pet-store.com/detai ... /2342.html

I saw a 4 cage stacker at the show, no 6 or 8's

This is a 4 cage with 1/2" bar spacing

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=13394

The doors are rather tall for my liking.

cindy, I have emailed americas pet store, because I could not find any information on bar spacing on the first cage listed (6 stack). The doors are different than the HQ quad, I think this cage is made by A&E. The price is $526.

The next cage, from birds comfort, looks like a nice setup, with dimensions of 36x24x25, but it sits very low to the ground, and it is priced at $500 + shipping of $150-300--fairly pricey.

The next cage, from americas pet store, looks exactly like the HQ quad cage, all dimensions exactly the same, doors the same, etc., but they say 3/8" spacing. I also emailed them asking about that bar spacing. Price is $360.

The last one, from drs. foster & smith, is quite expensive. It is $500 for the base unit of one cage (dividable into 2) and $500 for each unit added, which would make a quad stack $1,000. Actually, after looking at it closer, the base unit is two cages vertically, not horizontally as I presumed, then the unit added is called an extension.

It is just so hard to find cages that are perfect for finches. By cages, I mean ones that are appropriate to use as breeding cages, so longer than wide or high, with small bar spacing, and doors that don't open up all the way to the top of the cage, letting the birds escape. The 8-stack that I have has the doors right up to the top of each cage, but since they are dividable, I always have the option of putting in the divider. In reality, I rarely put in the dividers, except when checking nests, and once in a while, I do have a bird fly right past my face (but they only escape into the bird room).

Let me kmow what you find out. There are a few shows coming up and I will keep my eyes open for what you are looking for and get the manufacture's name and model. (possibly the distributors info to) The few I saw were really nice, next time I go I'll get the info and PM you.

I heard from americas pet store, and the first cage, the 6-cage stack, is actually 5/8" spacing. They now have it on their website as 5/8" spacing. I wondered, as they said the cages were for various birds, including macaws! I figure any cage that is for macaws is not going to work for finches.

The second cage, the 4-cage stack which looks exactly like the HQ quad stack that star is looking at, they said their supplier said it is 3/8" bar spacing--it is an HQ cage. Again, I find it hard to believe that HQ would make the same exact cage in two different bar spacings--3/8 and 1/2. Another curious thing, this quad stack is listed as model #14020 on mybirdcage, and as #102041 on americas pet store--just reverse the model number and add a 1 and they seem to be the same.

I actually do not need any more cages! I have empty cages in my barn right now. But this information would be handy for those who are searching for a good finch cage, so if you do get any more information, please post it here.

Sally when I looked the information up on the 6 stacker, the information about the 3/8 bar spacing was there at the top right of the picture, I wrote it down and then it was posted the other day on Star's topic "mybirdcage.com" with the 3/8 bar size. I saved the picture and went back to check it, it was there. Wonder what happened, maybe they were updating information.

As far as them listing it for Conures, cockatiels and Macaws, they must mean the smallest Macaws like the Hahns. Certainly a Blue Crown Conure would be cramped in it, smaller conures like the maroon bellied (raised them absolutely sweet birds) would be fine in that also.

To me having raised the larger parrots, it is to small for a bird even the size of a Hahn's. Lovebirds and Parrotlets may do just fine in the cage. Finches would do fine in that for breeding, pull the divider out and you have a flight cage. The door looks small not huge like the others and it is low, I like that.

They need to clarify the type of Macaw or Conure a little better, just a tad deceiving, maybe give the size of the bird the cage would be best for.

I know what you mean in regards to the model number, one sight listed the model number of the same exact flight (the one I have the shaftails in) cage as 13221, another listed it as HQ13221 and another listed it as 13221A. Other sites use a completely different number. I think the cages are made overseas and different distributors use different item numbers. I have also seen different bar spaces on the same design/style based on the type of bird will live in the cage. Thinner bars for say finches and thicker wider spaced bars for hookbills.

Sally thank you so much for posting the pictures. It helps a lot. Bless you.