# Ideal indoor cage size/dimensions



## Girl (Mar 3, 2005)

Preparing for future - At this stage, I will be living in an apartment for the next few years. I currently live in a studio and might move into a two bedroom apartment in the next 6 months.

What is a good width/length/height of an indoor cage I should buy? Sweet currently lives in a medium cage but not suitable for a pigeon coz width wise, she can't flap her wings without hitting the sides of the cage. Although I let her stay in the toilet during the day, in the future, when we have guests, I can't let her roam around the toilet or second bedroom. I think I may need a big enough indoor cage which will allow her to flap her wings and move around without feeling too restricted. All the cages I have seen so far are huge in height but not in width & length. I was advised width and length is more important then height because pigeons are not like budgies or canaries and hop from perch to perch in the cage.

Please advise on ideal width/length/height for an indoor cage and if anyone can provide pictures of cages, it will help me know what I am looking for. Thanks!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Girl,


Are you certain you even need a Cage for them?

Or, my own experience, has been only to have them in a Cage, because they are wild and injured or ill, and, once recovered, I leave the cage open so they may, at their descretion, fly about in side here, and, return to the Cage only for occasions of eating and drinking, which they understand soon enough, and so they return to it for that, then roost elsewhere or spend their days as they please indoors.

Of course, my situation, and theirs, then, is one where they either progress to their release to be wild again, or, if non-releasable, would simply stay with me indefinately, or be turned over to some kind soul who has an outdoor area, aviary, enclosure or what, to accomidate them.

How long have you had this Bird? Is it only one Pigeon then?

Anyway, my convelesent Cages are various Sizes, since some anticipated Sparrows and were pressed into service at times for Pigeons...Lol...and all but one I made, extempore, at one time or another, useing wire mesh sides and plywood tops and bottoms with a Door on one side.




Phil
Las Vegas


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

This link should take you straight to Julie (turkey's) community webshot cages album: http://community.webshots.com/album/113343160TGHvMr 

Until Julie built her indoor cages I had limited my expectations to anything that could be bought in a pet shop. Since then I have seen some wonderful variations on Julie's design, each one far superior to anything that you can buy in a shop.

As I am hopeless at DIY I use a large chinchilla/chipmunk cage for isolation and hospitalisation.

I haven't found it possible to keep a pigeon in a cage for longer than the isolation period (and usually not even that) but they are handy to keep the pigeon safe when you have workmen coming to do repairs.

As Phil says, they also provide a safe place for the pigeon to rest in (with the door open) , to eat in and to build a nest in.

Cynthia


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Girl, hi Cynthia,


Cynthia, your link provides some very nice examples indeed, of polite and attractive cages one may build.

Since my (Bird's) Cages are only for occasions of their transient convelesence, they have tended to be smaller and simpler, but these shown are very worthy of emulation.


Commercial Cages are usually quite expensive, and, seldom the size or shape one may have wished for.

Building them, or, arrangeing with someone who is both technically able and aesthetically competent, for them to build them for one, would be a good recourse.

Pnuematically actuated staplers ( aka 'Air Guns', or Air Staplers, ) are a fine method for attatching various kinds of wire mesh or screen to Wooden frames, or, one may tack the screens or mesh by hand with small nails or staples, and then nail thin Bats over them.

A plywood top and bottom, for Cages extempore, allows for only the sides to be of screen or mesh, and of course has only then the two pieces of plywood. The screen or mesh may then be continuous and of one length which bends or wraps around to meet itself at the single seam.

One then fastens a simple small door frame to one side, and makes a little screen door for it, with a hook or latch.

Anyway...


Best wishes,

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Girl (Mar 3, 2005)

Cythia, the pics are great, just what I needed. Thank you. 

I contacted an aviary company yesterday and asked for a quote on a customised indoor aviary similar in w/d/ 1/2 h as Julie's. The standard aviaries they make are solid, made from some sort of metal and colourbond etc. They are fairly expensive in the $ hundreds as pdpbison mentioned but you have given me another idea. I might be able to find a carpenter to build me one like Julie's for half the price.

pdpbison, you may have forgotten but you have given me some very good advice on Sweet in the past - see threads "Rescued Baby Pigeon from Crow" & "Help....Agressive Behaviour". Everyone in this forum is fairly lucky in that you have the support network where you are. I couldn't find any in Melbourne, Australia which is why I joined this forum. I read some of the threads and how you guys actually meet up, help each other out and take in pigeons from people who have found them. Although I live in a studio apartment which is not an ideal place for a pigeon, I did not have the support networks like you have and knew no one who would take Sweet in. In fact, I was told by animal shelters and vets here that if I gave it to them, they would put Sweet down. So I had to make do and provide what little space I can offer to Sweet. If I had a choice, I would have given Sweet to a trusting pigeon lover with an outdoor aviary. You wouldn't believe the type of comments I have received since taking Sweet in. Vets have been "amused" that I spent $70 on a feral pigeon, pet shop assistants "amused" that I spend $90 on a cage for a feral pigeon and got told by one that the "Kaytee Exact Rainbow Premium Daily Nutrition" I bought was too good a food for a feral pigeon.

Until now, I was contemplating buying a customised indoor cage for a few hundred dollars to house Sweet. However, I may be able to get someone to built one for me like Julie's. With Sweet's slow growth and still learning to fly, I will let him roam around indoors until he is ready. When I move, to an apartment on the 11th floor, my ideal would be to have the cage in the balcony during the day and have Sweet come and go as he pleases and wheel the cage indoors at night.

If anyone knows someone in Melbourne, Australia I can contact to get some support I would be grateful. I also welcome any other examples of good indoor aviaries/cages to build for a pigeon.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Girl,


Oh...!


Just so you know, I have never previously to our "Pigeontalk" Site here, had any (but a few cursory 'word' and not much to no deed, of Veterinarian ) support to speak of, and certainly no 'support network' but for the moral and technical and practice-tips and sharing support of our "Pigeontalk" site, which is still a new thing for me.

One of our members here, recently became a support for me in their kindness to provbide a happy home to some of my non-releasables, for which I will be eternally grateful...!

But, as far as Las Vegas is concerned, I have never met anyone here who does anything remotely similar, and I have for years of asking, never found but a few rumors of alledged others who did anything Feral Bird wise, at all...the few times I was able to chase down these rumors, it was someone who had some Birds, but had no abilities opr history for convelescing or raising them...

There is an organization here which purports to 'do' rehab work for Birds, but no one has ever heard of them actually doing anything, and the times I was able to get them on the 'phone, they were cold, rude and condescending and did not seem to have ever, in fact, done anything actual or real and owuld give no information about their organization.

So...

Just so you know!

Many of us have been quite isolated in these interests, but for the happy existance of this Site and it's many kind participants.

Years ago, I had left my name with several Vets, who then supplied me with many, usually Baby Birds which they had no way to care for, which people would naively bring in to them...which Babys I raised and released or let elect their own destinys as they pleased...

Then, after a long much quieter interlude, last February I left my name with one Vet, and got almost instantly 'slammed' with ny number being given to callers who then brought me Injured Juveniles and Adults, Sick and emaciated Birds, Car Hit and Dog or Cat mauled Birds, sick little Baby Birds...and...it about wore me out! Some very few Healthy Babys or Youngsters, thankfully, just for my own exhaustion to revel in the relative ease of..!

Oye...I did pretty well with all of it...and I am very garateful I found this forum, this Site...

But, I can say this, once one has more than six or eight Injured or sick and or Baby Birds to care for, it does not leave much time for much else!

...sigh...

So I called that Vet several times now, telling them they MUST PLEASE take my name down...I am supposed to be packing to move! I am poor and do not even know where I am going to go...Lol...so...

And yet, I am still getting Calls, Birds brought to me...on and on...

I can not turn them away, so...so it goes...



Phil
Las Vegas


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Girl, 

I do hope you can find a solution to get a indoor setup for Sweets relatively inexpensively. At one point I had built myself an indoor pen as well and it's similar to Julies too. I built it from cheap wood and 1/4' galvanized wire mesh. The actual part of the cage was about 100 cm wide X 100 cm deep. The height of the cage part was 76 cm. You'll notice that on the bottom of the cage I built a simple platform for the cage to sit on and for height. It was the exact same dimensions as the cage itself and just made from a frame and covered with very inexpensive pre painted wood sheets. In your case, you could replace the wire with chicken wire, it's cheaper. I also built mine with double wood to conceal the mesh, but this isn't necessary either. You could also cut back on the size a bit as well since mine was meant to house larger pigeons. Hope you get some ideas and can find someone to construct it for you if needed. 

Here are my pics:


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