Please help - my initial setup!

Kiko · Post by **Kiko** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:54 pm

Ok, please tell me how to set up the cage, what to put where!

I have a 30x18x18 cage. Two 14 inch manzanita branches, and 2 regular 18inch wood perches. One concrete perch-up perch. Swing is on order.

I also bought a couple of toys, string/leather bits for them to play with.

Water dish, plus hanging water tubes, food hopper plus food tube.
They are used to feed/water tubes at the breeder.

Flat dish for bathing on the floor.

Here is my thoughts. Manzanita at each end, about 4 inches away from the end. How high up do I put them? Where do I put the food and water and treat dishes? I think the swing hangs from the middle?

Help! I can't figure it out!

Post by **Sally** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:42 pm

Manzanita as you stated--once you have birds in there, make sure their tails don't brush the cage bars when they turn around, or you will soon have frayed tails. I put my branches about 1/3 of the way from the top. Swing in the middle. Perch-up perch could go in the middle of the back wall, with cuttlebone or mineral cup next to it.

If your cage has breeding doors at the ends, you could put the seed hopper on one end, or see if it will fit best on one of the front doors. Water/feed tubes on the front wall, near the perches. I like hang-on type bathtubs, less poop plus they are on the outside of the cage, so take up less room, but you have to be careful that they will fit your doors.

Toys can go in the back corners, near the perches.

Kiko · Post by **Kiko** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:33 pm

Thank you Sally,
THe feedhopper fits a front door, near the bottom. Can the birds perch right on it to eat? There are no perches near it.

The side door is too big for the seed hopper. Should I put the perchup perch and the tube feeder next to the seed hopper so that they get used to it.

Will they go down low to find food?

The perches don't attach well to the front wall, because of the sliding doors, so I have attached them to the back wall. So I put the tubes on a side wall (left side away from sun).

Haven't moved the perchup and cuttlebone yet, but I will.

Here are some pics of my initial setup, before I saw your answers.

How much sun is too much? I set this up so half the cage will always be out of the sun, and half will get sun. But the sun is pretty warm in the late afternoon. Our house never gets hot because when it does start to get hot the a/c will get turned on, but you can definitely feel the heat if you were in front of the window. Do bird know enough to bake a bit and then get out of the heat? Or should I block more of the sun, or move the cage entirely out of the window?

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:41 am

Looks good, but I like to put one perch high and one low.
I have the exact same cage, but mine are black. They are great for the price. I think I paid $27 for mine.

Kiko · Post by **Kiko** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:19 am

Thank you, yes they are great for the price. A good starter cage before you decided to get a dozen finches!

I think I will move the right branch down a bit, closer to the food. I am also going to move them out of the window, in case it gets too hot.

Funny how people can just go into a store and buy a cage and birds, or a dog, without forethought, and I am agonizing over the cage setup before I even get the birds!

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:53 am

dont take this the wrong way Kiko but I would love to see you with an outdoor aviary, the time, detail & thought that you have put into your cage so far is great. just imagine setting up something 20 times the size

Kiko · Post by **Kiko** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:05 am

Oh I don't take that the wrong way, but in Canada where I am an outdoor aviary is out of the question. However I can SO see myself with a larger cage a few months from now, one of the big HQ or the SAVIC one that I found. Already this cage is feeling too small, once you start putting things in it. But I do need to live with finches for a bit before I start changing my life more!

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:41 am

What type of finches were you planning on having?

Kiko · Post by **Kiko** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:19 am

I have one pair of gouldians in that cage. That'll be it.

I am currently planning to have hubby build me a wider cage, I have a possible line on some cage fronts (locally).
I would like a 4 foot wide cage.

I might, repeat might, add a pair of red cheeked cordon bleus, because they are beautiful and apparently nice singers. Or a pair of strawberries if I can find them.

I do love the singing!