Wooden cage?

[Lightbulb]

Now for my second post.

These cages are stunning and reasonably priced. But would it be hard to keep clean and would this be breeding ground for mites?

Thank you!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/birdworld77?u ... 459ba30117

[lovezebs]

Lightbulb

Some of these are gorgeous, however you are right about wood and cleaning. It is harder to keep clean, and there is always the risk of mites.

There are some lovely flights, that incorporate both wood and glass, etc to create a masterpiece (if money is no object).

Check this out...

[Lightbulb]

Wow, those are great!

[lovezebs]

Lightbulb

Aren't they something else

But, you either have to be rich, or extremely talented in the DIY department, lol.
I'm afraid I'm neither, sigh....

[mrski]

I love the glass on my cabinet aviary! Unless they splash water or poop on the glass there isn't much to clean. I wipe the glass down every few months, so it's not a big deal.

[paul-inAZ]

What kind of birds would go in there? If hook bills they will destroy the wood in no time. Finches -no problem.

I'd guess that the wood is a low probability for mite infestation. But~If you are concerned about that and the cleaning you could seal the wood [unless it already has a finish on it].
An easy way would be shellac. Very quick drying. You'd smell the alcohol solvent for a only short while. Not as tough a finish as varnish.
Or a better way is water-borne varnish. Much more resistant to water and any scrubbing. Water based varnishes have no paint thinner odor. Also dries pretty quickly.

Nice looking cages.

Edit: I just looked at one of them and it says the finish is linseed oil. That won't last very long.
Shellac will stick to an oiled surface.
Varnish may be iffy for adhesion unless it is oil based. Varnishes do stick to shellac so it could be a two step process.

[Lightbulb]

Hi Paul,
Thanks for the advice.

It would be a lone canary.

That's great to hear that shellac or varnish would lessen the chance of mites. I could handle that.

What's your opinion Paul? Hard to clean? Sees mess everywhere?

[paul-inAZ]

If you can do it I'd go with clear water based varnish. Test it on the underside of the tray to see if an undercoat of shellac is needed for adhesion. If so, get the palest blonde DEWAXED shellac you can find.

Cleaning? Mess? No different than any other cage. A varnish coat or three will allow it to be wiped clean quite easily and be as durable as a hardwood floor. Specially the tray.
I'd replace the dowel perches with natural branches w/rough bark left on.

Lovely workmanship. Much more attractive than plain ol' wire cages.

[isobea]

In the early 80s, when I lived in an apartment in Germany, I built an indoor aviary (about 5 ft long x 2 1/2 ft deep x 6 ft tall). It had two pull-out drawers that I covered with paper which made them very easy to clean. Had all natural branches, too. Can't remember what kind of finish I used back then.
I would get the widest cage you can afford so he can fly a little - and maybe give him some free-flight time whenever you can.
Iso

[Lightbulb]

Excellent, thank you all for your help!

Some of the models have a solid roof on them. Like so:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/473272882/ ... e_active_1

Would you avoid those in favor of wire top ones so the bird has access to more light (especially on my mind in the midst of a grey Pennsylvania winter).

Also, would you make any modifications to the seed tray to lessen seeds being flicked to and fro?

[isobea]

Lightbulb - Do you know where you will place your new cage? Close to a window? If so, I think there would be enough light coming in even with a domed solid roof. If the winters are long and grey, you could also mount a short tube light in the peak of that roof (with a timer). Will you be getting your canary from a pet store? Which would mean he would be used to having people close to him, maybe not as flighty as a bird that was raised in a big outdoor aviary. A bird coming out of an outdoor (or any other large) aviary might appreciate a solid roof, making him feel safer. As for the seed cups: I know it's not the prettiest solution (especially if you have such a beautiful cage) but you might want to put some plastic around the bottom 8 inches of the cage to avoid seeds, their hulls and feathers spilling all over the place. Also I would suggest a plastic bird bath that can be hung on the outside of the cage (canaries like to bathe). Like this one

http://www.myladygouldianfinch.com/prod ... 4-bath.php

Make sure, though it would work with the size of the door opening and the little plastic 'hooks' would fit over the frame or wire of the cage.
Iso

[paul-inAZ]

A roofed cage or not is more an aesthetic decision.
The one you linked to is tall and skinny side to side. A cage with more room horizontally would be preferable for exercise. One of those with ~3 feet of level flight side to side is ideal.

[isobea]

Yes, definitely as wide as possible!
Iso

[w.l.]

I'd rather get this:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/496084553/ ... =related-0

Or even this:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/495108031/ ... =related-2

The pointy roof bit is of limited use to the birds.

Mind you, seeing that the offer is from Croatia, how much would shipping these cages to the US cost?

[Lightbulb]

Shipping was quoted at around $50.