taming and cage size

[Ellie]

So, I had to put my budgie in a temporary cage after bringing him home, which unfortunately has 5/8" spacing. Ages ago, I purchased a really large flight cage (Prevue Hendryx F040) which has safe bar spacing. I figured I could half (as in build less one height section - this is what I was working on last night). Only problem I'm realizing now, is that this would bring him down too low to the ground, and I don't want him to feel like I'm towering over him (or be afraid of the fact that there is a 70lb dog wandering around the house).

So I guess the big question is, will having him in a huge cage make him harder to tame? (today he is less interested in me, but again, that's expected being in a new home)

I only see a few options - A) put him in the full flight cage. B) put him in the half flight cage lower down (maybe I could purchase some bed risers to bring the cages up higher?) or C) order a smaller table top flight cage that will take a few days to come in, and leave him in the current cage (which I'm not at all comfortable with)

Sorry if it seems unorganized to be figuring out this stuff after I've already brought him home... the shelter only listed him yesterday, and wouldn't hold him for me until the next day to give me time to get things ready

[tweetiepiesmom]

I'd vote to put him in the full flight cage. I had Tweetie Pie several months before I got Buddy in the big cage by himself. The biggest difference between having him in the full cage vs making it half size is that he has more room to get away from your hand. That's OK because you're not going to chase him with your hand. I found that Tweetie Pie would just move away from my hand while staying on the same perch. I would just rest my hand there while he looked at it. He had more room to play and exercise. When Buddy moved in, Tweetie Pie was not territorial and there was plenty of room for both.

[Ellie]

Jul 31, 2020 18:54:01 GMT tweetiepiesmom said:

I'd vote to put him in the full flight cage. I had Tweetie Pie several months before I got Buddy in the big cage by himself. The biggest difference between having him in the full cage vs making it half size is that he has more room to get away from your hand. That's OK because you're not going to chase him with your hand. I found that Tweetie Pie would just move away from my hand while staying on the same perch. I would just rest my hand there while he looked at it. He had more room to play and exercise. When Buddy moved in, Tweetie Pie was not territorial and there was plenty of room for both.

Thank-you so much for the reply.

I put him in to the full flight cage. I see your point. I guess my thinking was more along the lines of if he had plenty of space, he'd never want to come see me (and here he is hanging off the cage bars right beside me). Definitely don't want to chase him around. I guess I better go back to the shop and buy a few more perches for him to land on. And maybe some toys. And... (I know where this is going lol).

[Hezz]

I agree with the full-size flight cage. At least he will have plenty of space to exercise in for those times when he can't come out. Don't fill the cage up too much, keep the centre of the cage open so that he can flit back and forth without banging his wings. Get enough toys and perches to have at least two lots - one in the cage and one being cleaned and used again the following week when the current lot come out for the weekly clean. Swapping things around keeps them on their toes and helps prevent boredom, and what he might not play with now may be "discovered" in six months' time as the best invention ever!!!

You have also said that this little guy seems very tame anyway, so I think your worry about too much room to move away from you is unfounded.

[Ellie]

Aug 1, 2020 0:49:09 GMT Hezz said:

I agree with the full-size flight cage. At least he will have plenty of space to exercise in for those times when he can't come out. Don't fill the cage up too much, keep the centre of the cage open so that he can flit back and forth without banging his wings. Get enough toys and perches to have at least two lots - one in the cage and one being cleaned and used again the following week when the current lot come out for the weekly clean. Swapping things around keeps them on their toes and helps prevent boredom, and what he might not play with now may be "discovered" in six months' time as the best invention ever!!!

You have also said that this little guy seems very tame anyway, so I think your worry about too much room to move away from you is unfounded.

Thanks for the advice!

I only had 3 perches (sized for a smaller cage), so I picked up two more, plus a platform perch (so that he has a variety of surfaces for his feet). I've done my best to space them so that he has plenty of room to fly from perch to perch. He seemed pretty happy with his new arrangement today. I'm still trying to figure out a (out of cage) safe flying zone for him. I have a fairly open concept apartment, with only two rooms with doors, a dog, and a few too many spaces for a bird to get stuck (like behind furniture or the stove - all things that don't sit directly up against walls).

And yes, for a new home, he's fairly tame. I've only had him home a few days, and he has been willing (for most the part) to hop on to my hand for food. Today he was even hopping on without, while I was adding perches to the cage.