Suggested stack cages

[Shelleypg1919]

I have finally found some finches. I want to purchase a few really large flight cages and then some smaller (in height only) stackable cages.

Any suggestions?

[Jeff McKee]

I'm in a different part of the world - Ontario, Canada. When I was looking for cages, I found a gal that makes custom cages. She actually does a lot of rabbit cages. She custom fitted them to my very small room, allowing me to utilize most every square inch of height, width & length.

You may be able to find someone similar in your part of the world! Start googling!

Oh, and plan, plan, plan, plan and then plan, plan, plan, plan some more!

[ac12]

I got a few 16x16x24 and 18x18x30 breeder cages at the bird mart and stacked them. After I stacked them I learned a few things.

#1 - Limit how many cages you stack. Too many cages and you will need a ladder to do anything with the top cage. I have 5 of the 16x16x24 cages stacked, and I have to use a 6 foot folding ladder to change the food and water each day in the top cage of the stack. Even though it is an "ultra light" ladder, handling the ladder is a real pain. And cleaning the top cage is difficult because I have to get up there with the ladder, and removing the poop tray w/o spilling it all over is also difficult. Based on my experience, I do NOT recommend stacking 5 cages, stop at 4, better yet stop at 3.

If you have the room, I would stack the larger 18x18x30 cages rather than the smaller 16x16x24 cages. The bigger cages give you more flexibility than the smaller cages, and gives the birds more room.

#2 - Think about the bottom cage in the stack. If it is too low to the floor, some birds will NOT like it there. It is also difficult to watch and monitor birds in the bottom cage. So you may want to elevate the stack above the floor. Note that when you elevate the bottom cage, you are also raising the top cage, so consider how high you are raising the top cage.

#3 - You need to carefully position the cages front to back when you stack them. The cage above needs to be back flush with the cage below or a bit back. The reason you need to be able to open the upward sliding doors of the lower cage. If the poop tray sticks out it may block you from opening the door of the lower cage.

#4 - Secure the cages together so the stack does not fall apart on you. I used zip ties. And if you can secure the stack to the wall, so it won't fall over. The taller your stack the more important it is to secure it to the wall. You need to put a LONG screw eye into a stud then zip tie the cage to the eye.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-4-in-x-3-3 ... a5Ey0qS_5A

#5 - If you stack them (vs. using a shelf to hold the individual cages), you cannot remove a lower or middle cage w/o disassembling the entire stack. You might want to do this to do an extra good cleaning of a really dirty cage outside the house. And Murphy will make this the bottom cage

#6 - Wrap the sides and back of the stack with plastic sheet. This stops them from shooting poop onto the walls or furniture, it also contains the mess they make. But make it easy to remove the plastic, to clean it, because it WILL get dirty.

#7 - Put a sheet of plastic between each cage in the stack. That prevents "stuff" from the cage above from falling into the cage below.

#8 - Because the cages are stacked, only the top cage can be lit from the top. All the other cages have to be lit from the side. I use clamp lamps from Home Depot with either incandescent or CFL lamps. If you use shelves, you can use a shelf larger spacing and put a horizontal flourescent lamp above each cage.

#9 - A LOT of feather, dust, seeds, etc. will be around the cage. You need to position the stack so you can get to and clean this. I cannot easily get to the back of my stacks, so there is a LOT of stuff back there that I have not cleaned.

[Shelleypg1919]

Wow! What amazing information! Thank you!

I was thinking of just stacking two and using some sort of cart. I wonder if there is a cart for the Petco finch cages? I also am wondering what the dimensions of the Petco finch cages are.
Hmmm.

I have two choices for my indoor birds.
One, in my daughter's bedroom. She is moving out this summer and I was thinking of converting her room to my bird room. It is tile floor... which is lucky.

two) I have a building outside that I could make into my bird room. Only thing, is that I am worried the outside room will be too humid as it floods when we get too much rain. Also, I might not want to spend as much time out there. In the house, I could hear them.

[Musetta]

I believe the Petco flight cages are 18x18x30. I had a very difficult and largely failed time trying to stack two of them, although I didn't really know what I was doing, so it is probably still possible to do it successfully. The main thing about those cages, I found, is that they are relatively flimsy, which makes it difficult for one to support another.

[Ginene]

Shelleypg1919
Go on ebay...you can get the cages and the racks to stack the cages too. They come separate or as a set and have amazing prices. They come in many sizes and choice of black/white.

[Ginene]

Shelleypg1919
ebay has a set of 4 black 30x18x18 breeding cages (each includes divider panel too) with stand for $187 and free shipping.

[Shelleypg1919]

Thank you... I will check. I love ebay

[Nerien]

If you find cages you like, but without a stand, try Lowe's or Home Depot or something like that. They sell basic utility shelving very inexpensively. You could also assemble your own custom shelving unit from that white wire closet system stuff. (I once had a huge plant rack made of that in front of our glass sliders....I miss my plants....back in the days before kids and before cats who viewed them as "salad"...)

The Petco cages are not the most stable or secure, as they come to you, but we added nylon zip ties on all sides, and they stiffen up and strengthen up considerably just by tying the sides together instead of just hooking them.

[Sam007]

Very good suggestions by ac12 and Nerien

[Shelleypg1919]

Thank you for all the great ideas. I looked on ebay and saw some of the stands. I also ordered a prevue aviary from Target. My birds are shipping next Wednesday. I get so excited thinking about them!

[EyesofFreedom]

I believe the Petco flight cages are 18x18x30. I had a very difficult and largely failed time trying to stack two of them, although I didn't really know what I was doing, so it is probably still possible to do it successfully. The main thing about those cages, I found, is that they are relatively flimsy, which makes it difficult for one to support another.

If you put them together following the directions yes they are kinda flimsy and wobbly... I had two of these and I took some small white zip (cable) ties and reinforced all the sides... it made them a so much more rigid... it takes all the slack out of the sides and secures the floor to the back like it is supposed to be... for $2 extra it made a world difference ;)

[nelloyello11]

I have a couple of the Petco flight cages. I found a shelf at target that worked very well to stack two of them. It's a wire utility shelf; it has 3 shelves, but you can set the shelves anywhere you want. I found a perfect placement that allowed me to use the very bottom shel for storage, a cage on the middle shelf, with enough space for a light on the top of the cage, and a cage on the top. I will see if I can find a link to the shelf for you.

[nelloyello11]

I think this is the one I have. There are a few that look similar, but they only give the package dimensions online, not the actual dimensions...
http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials ... edium_1_38

I actually bought mine in the store, not online, so you could go to the store and just look for a similar one that has shelves that are the right width/depth.