need help keeping Gold breasted waxbill hen in a cage

[Sally]

Derk I have kept Goldbreasted Waxbills in the Quality cages with 1" x 1/2" mesh and never had a problem with them escaping. The cages I have used are the 34x18x18 double breeders. Even the fledglings didn't get out, though they certainly tried hard enough to squeeze through the mesh!

Be careful with some of the HQ flight cages. They say the bar spacing is 1/2", which it is for the most part, but I've found on some of my cages that some areas, like next to doors or in corners, the spacing is more than 1/2". I haven't had birds escape, but I think the smallest birds I have kept in those cages are Strawberries. I seem to remember when I first joined this forum someone posted about getting the double flight cage and then had trouble with a smaller finch escaping (I think it might have been an Orange-cheeked Waxbill).

[Derk]

Sally
Hi Sally, As I said, this bird was quite comfy in the cage until her mate disappeared. I also have two pairs in other cages with no problem. I am hoping once she has settled in with her new mate, she will happily stay in the cage again.

Thank-you for the warning about the HQ cages. I do tend to consider these small parrot cages and look them over really carefully. Sometimes the cage bars are also a little bent providing just enough room for a determined finch to escape. I also know you need to be really careful when the divider i s removed. It leaves quite a gap. I don't think this cage was originally designed with finches in mind.

The 40" x 20' cages you use - something like this http://www.americas-pet-store.com/a-&-e ... -cage.html, do they have wider spots like the HQ?

[Sally]

I posted on the other topic of Colt's showing the cages, but my cages (Colt's too) are HQ and are a bit different from the A&E cages. They are very sturdy, more like the HQ single and double flights in construction. The people I bought them from used them for Gouldians and/or parrotlets, and they are much better suited to a bit bigger bird, but I've not had a problem with Berries escaping from them. I did take out the grates (I hate grates), which left quite a gap, so I added Plexiglas panels to that front gap to cover it. I'm thinking of changing that to pieces of molding that I can cut to fit and spray paint to match, then attach them with zip ties so I can just lift up the panel to pull out the tray. With the Plexiglas panels, I had to Velcro them in place, pull them off when cleaning trays, then put them back on, and the Velcro is not sticking very well any more. Have had a few panels slide out of place, letting birds escape through that gap.

[Derk]

Sally
Thanks again Sally. Just read the post under Colts thread.