# chinchilla cage for crippled ferals??



## psychopomp (May 5, 2008)

Hi, I am looking at affordable indoor housing options for two crippled ferals that cannot fly....most birdcages are too small.....designed for small flyers...

I came across a large chinchilla house, two ramps with two levels (small platforms)....mesh bottom with pull out tray....any reason it wont work??

also going to make a little outdoor hutch area to get fresh air and exercise.

Jen


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

i think you are on the right track....also you may want to google finch flight cage or aviary, they seem to be a larger size but not as expensive as the large parrot cages. also these pic are good ideas for nice weather fun!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

We use chinchilla cages for indoor housing (mostly ill birds) and an aviary with shelter outdoors for permanent residents.

Cynthia


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## psychopomp (May 5, 2008)

I am also looking at taller ferret cages....outdoors has to be seasonal ...I live in northern Canada, the temperatures in winter are as low as -30 centigrade....I am going to build a small take down aviary (i hope) as I have a small yard


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Both chin and ferret cages work well for non-flying pigeons. I've used both. The plastic bottoms are nice, as they are smooth and easy to wipe clean. I use newspapers in them. Some have wire bottoms but of course you would want to be careful it doesn't hurt their feet.  If they are able to get around some, they should enjoy the easy-to-use plastic ramps to the higher levels, too. You might try getting one of those soft houses that are essentially a cloth square with a hole in the front. My indoor pijies love those to use as houses, and they're washable.


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## psychopomp (May 5, 2008)

I'll let you know what I end up with! the cloth one sounds nice, but i have a cat! luckily she is is not a bird chaser....she got along fine with "spot" when I took care of her....she has no killer instinct , but I dont trust her not to open a cloth cage.

is 18 unches wide enough for pigeons to tunn around comfortably?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I think the soft house goes inside the cage for them to sit/snuggle in...18 inches seems a little small for a perm home...i got the feisty ferret home for my chin and really like it. it is 23 deep by 42 tall I think. that may be a good option


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

psychopomp said:


> I'll let you know what I end up with! the cloth one sounds nice, but i have a cat! luckily she is is not a bird chaser....she got along fine with "spot" when I took care of her....she has no killer instinct , but I dont trust her not to open a cloth cage.
> 
> is 18 unches wide enough for pigeons to tunn around comfortably?


Lol! I see where that didn't come across right. I meant to add inside the cage one of those little cloth houses that are the size of a basketball.  Kind of like this one (though this one is made from basket material):










My indoor pigeons loved the soft cubby hole it made. I also had a bigger one, just a round carpeted one, with a hole in the front, originally a cat house. They took that one over pretty quick too.


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## psychopomp (May 5, 2008)

the ferret home i was thinking of is 51 inches tall, 18.5 wide and 26.5 long...I cant afford anything larger. I can add the little hammocks etc myself, didnt realize pidges would use them!
Most bird cages are actually smaller in dimension...at least the ones available here.

I *might be able to build something larger, later...but I also dont have a huge area for the cage.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Metal dog crates make good cages for pet pigeons. They come in many different sizes.


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## psychopomp (May 5, 2008)

hmmm but doesnt the dog crate mean I have to crawl on my hands and knees to clean it, or get the pigeons out? I have a bad back...how would you set it up?
thanks for the idea!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

psychopomp said:


> hmmm but doesnt the dog crate mean I have to crawl on my hands and knees to clean it, or get the pigeons out? I have a bad back...how would you set it up?
> thanks for the idea!


i think i read somewhere that the metal dog crates could be a hazard as the head of the pidg can get stuck between the bars. if the cage you are considering is all you can afford by all means get that one, you may just have to give him extra time out of it, and maybe have another small cage to set in the yard or deck to get some sun and fresh air. Then if all goes well and you know he will be with you forever you can save for a bigger one later if you think it would be better...oh and the hammock, it comes with the cage for ferrets they use them, i don't know if a pidj would but i guess you could try it, make sure he does'nt get hung up in it though.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

spirit wings said:


> i think i read somewhere that the metal dog crates could be a hazard as the head of the pidg can get stuck between the bars. if the cage you are considering is all you can afford by all means get that one, you may just have to give him extra time out of it, and maybe have another small cage to set in the yard or deck to get some sun and fresh air. Then if all goes well and you know he will be with you forever you can save for a bigger one later if you think it would be better...oh and the hammock, it comes with the cage for ferrets they use them, i don't know if a pidj would but i guess you could try it, make sure he does'nt get hung up in it though.


Well, I raised mine in the dog crates, and had no problem. The bars were spaced well enough apart, so that they couldn't get their heads stuck. It probably depends on the size of the crate how close the bars are placed.
And, if that were a worry, you could always attach 1/2 inch hardware cloth to the outside of the crate. Very easy with plastic ties. At least, the cage would be a good size for the birds. And you wouldn't have to buy a larger cage later.
And no, you don't have to climb in, you can put a fairly good sized cage up on a table. They usually have a door on one end, and another on one side. Easy access. It worked out very well.


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## psychopomp (May 5, 2008)

I will take a look at my local pet shop see what they have (bird cages were awful)....I do like the idea of a pull out tray....but if they have a lot more wing space, maybe thats better....I noticed you can buy separate platforms, ramps to add levels. then I also have to add the hassle/cost of finding a high table....which I know the pidges prefer to look down on us humans anyways....

and I am going to take them out whenever I can, fresh air and sun.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

By the way, the dog crates also have the pull out tray that comes with them. And many of them come with a divider, so that you can make one cage into two sections if you want to. Just wanted to let you know that.


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## lizz (May 3, 2008)

*got it!*

jay, i found a guinea pig pen on e.bay, for about 75 bucks, and then of course, went and found the site that tells you how to build them, what to buy, everything!

i think the one made for trooper is three feet by five feet, but you can make them really any size you want, and it's amazing! 

you use those 'organize it' cubes from target, and a sheet of coroplast, which is like big piece of plastic cardboard ['corrugated plastic', right? ]
any sign company will sell you a piece AND you can get any color you want. i got mine for 18 dollars, and think the whole thing cost MAYBE 35 dollars, and took ten minutes to put together. seriously, it's great. 

guineapigcages.com and then look in the cubes and coroplast part!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

OMGOSH, that is a great idea, I forgot about those, I did one for my piggies, but it was open on the top, but it would take a sunday afternoon to put together for a pidji, I can't beleave i did not remember that...yes check it out. the coroplast is great and so easy to clean.


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## lizz (May 3, 2008)

you know you can buy a piece of shelving, and cable tie it to the pen? then it just flips up! plus i figure you could just buy a second piece of coroplast, and punch holes in it, and cable tie THAT to the top.... 

i thought it was a GENIUS idea, whoever came up with the original design! not to mention you can set it up in any way you want, and add to it, add levels to it, a ramp....

of course, now trooper flaps out of it, and runs around the house, but he's always back in it when i come home from work. if, that is, i don't look at him before i leave, and feel horrible for attempting to leave his little blue self at home, watching nothing but stupid parrots and PBS.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That's wonderful! I have never heard of these. I'll have to go in and check it out. Sounds like you got a great deal. Thanks.


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## psychopomp (May 5, 2008)

ok, I found an inexpensive dog crate, 42x28x30, pull out tray AND i had an old desk i forgot about...also have these add on perches and platforms at the pet store, should be easy to set this up! thanks  and I checked the bars, they shouldnt be able to get thier heads stuck.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Good Deal! You know, they don't usually care for round perches like you get in the pet shop. I actually used wooden tomato stakes, that I sanded smooth, and cut to the right length to go through one side of the cage and out the other. Another thing I did, was to put a board across the end of the cage, sitting up on a couple of 2X4's. They liked this even better. Some people put a brick in the cage for them to sit on, and it has the advantage of keeping their nails a bit trimmed. You could put a shelf on one end of the cage, and a brick on the other. They like a shelf better than a narrow perch. Glad you found a good cage. And you won't have to go out and buy another one. It's a good size. They should love it!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

psychopomp said:


> ok, I found an inexpensive dog crate, 42x28x30, pull out tray AND i had an old desk i forgot about...also have these add on perches and platforms at the pet store, should be easy to set this up! thanks  and I checked the bars, they shouldnt be able to get thier heads stuck.


Thats great, I keep my bunnie in one of those and the pull out tray is easy to clean. it might take a bit to get everthing just how you like it, trial and error. thats a nice size. post a pic when you got it all figured out, love to see it


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## psychopomp (May 5, 2008)

I was thinking of a board at the back..I have power tools and spare wood...so maybe I can rig that up! it will be fun tinkering.

do you think they would like a box?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

psychopomp said:


> I was thinking of a board at the back..I have power tools and spare wood...so maybe I can rig that up! it will be fun tinkering.
> 
> do you think they would like a box?


Yes, it is fun to tinker. I enjoy trying new ways to set up my loft to make it easier for my little handicapped Pidgie. His name is Cricket. I have two 12"X12" boxes. one atop the other. But he likes being on the top of the highest box. I have it set up so that he can jump up on something, then a little jump again, and he can reach the top. I think they enjoy being as high as they can be, just like the others. I try to set things up so that he can live just as normally as the others. I even put a wall on one side of it, and a 4" wide perch on that, that he can jump up on, which is on top of the higher box. Sometimes he sleeps on the perch. He's so cute, and can do so much with just a little help. You'll have fun trying these things for them. He could go into the lower box, or the next one up, but he prefers the top. More like a perch. Just like everyone else. So they'd probably prefer the boards, but you can experiment, to see what each individual likes. Better have more than one. They usually don't like to share their perch. Maybe an elevated board on each end of the cage would be good. You'll see. LOL.


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