Making a cage for a parrot with your own hands

A parrot is a bird of tropical origin. Distinctive features are the colorful color of plumage, lively disposition and the ability to imitate human speech. This genus of birds is marked by a large number of subspecies.

In most world regions it is used as a decorative pet. For commercial purposes, it is bred and kept on specialized farms of an industrial and private nature.

Specific requirements are made to the characteristics of the feed and the domestic conditions of the exotic bird. As a dwelling for a parrot and means of its isolation from the environment, it is used lattice cell. This device allows you to provide the right conditions for a comfortable life, while maintaining the ability to communicate with the outside world, since parrots bred in captivity are extremely social.

There are various modifications of cells for a parrot, differing in the presence of certain functional capabilities. The cost of some copies may be $ 1,000. Along with them, budget models are available at the zoo market, which are affordable for the average level buyer. In addition, following the instructions, you can construct a cage with your own hands, which will allow you to take into account the individual characteristics of a particular bird and save money.

The main criteria for the quality of the cage for a parrot is size, material and design.

The physiology of any bird is a set of biological characteristics that necessitate the absence of restrictions on freedom of movement. Some properties of their body indicate a dependence on constant physical activity.Cell size is calculated taking into account this fact.

Parrots are representatives of the bird genus, which are extremely sensitive to factors of external influence. They are easily susceptible to diseases, are difficult to survive molting and periods of physiological cravings for reproduction. Along with this, one can note their exactingness to the materials from which the cell is made. Their environmental friendliness and safety are important.

The physical condition of the parrot directly depends on the design features of the dwelling. Some cages provide supplements that enable the bird to meet its energy requirements and gain access to water and food. Among these additions can be noted:

• swing;
• rotating wheels;
• hanging hoops;
• various toys and more.

There are various modifications of parrot stands that you can assemble with your own hands at home. Before assembly, appropriate materials and tools must be prepared.

The list of materials directly depends on various types of cell construction. Their differences from each other come down to the difference in the configuration of the case. Among the common types of cells can be noted:

• trellised with the all-metal case;
• cellular metal;
• lattice combined;
• combined cell;
• plastic, wooden.

The all-metal casing is a structure assembled from a metal mesh with a square cell or grid sheets connected to each other by spot welding or other fixing materials.

The combined version of the case combines a wooden or plastic frame that holds the grating or mesh material. In this case, the grid can be made of plastic, and the bars of the grid can be made of wood.

The optimal design of the cell is combined. Its features allow you to assemble the device without unnecessary costs for materials with a minimum set of tools.

To assemble the bird cage shown in the photo, you will need the following list of materials:

• a metal mesh with a square mesh; the mesh size should not exceed 20 mm;
• planed wooden battens, average parameters of battens 15x30 mm;
• plywood or fiberboard up to 5 mm thick;
• consumable metal products - self-tapping screws, finish nails, loops, perforated mounting angles, drills.

The mesh, which will be used as the main material for the cell walls, must have minimum dimensional characteristics. This will reduce the weight of the entire structure and facilitate the assembly process.

The size of wooden battens is not fixed. As this material, you can use slats with various sizes. It is important to consider the weight factor of the structure. The narrower and thinner the wooden components, the less its final weight. It is undesirable to use a planed tree. The presence of irregularities, splintering and wood dust can adversely affect the state of the bird, which will be kept in the cage.

To equip the bottom of the structure, it is recommended to use fiberboard. This material has several advantages compared to plywood. At least one side of the fiberboard is covered with a water-repellent layer, which provides the best possible operating conditions under these conditions, since the bottom of the cage is the final surface on which bird droppings and other waste products of its vital activity fall.

Consumable metal products must comply with the parameters of wooden materials. For example, screws after screwing should not protrude on the other side. The pitch of their thread should be selected taking into account the minimum risk of wood splitting at the time of screwing.The width of the fixing metal corners should correspond to the width of the wooden battens. Protrusion of corners beyond the perimeter of the frame is unacceptable.

The values ​​of the diameters of the drill should correspond to two values: 1) the diameter of the head of the screws, 2) the diameter of their threaded part, divided by 2.

In accordance with the names of the selected materials, a list of tools is prepared:

• sawing devices for wood (hacksaw or jigsaw);
• drill, screwdriver;
• a hammer;
• scissors for metal;
• medium sandpaper;
• cross screwdriver;
• measuring instruments (tape measure, ruler);
• PVA glue;
• other related names.

In order to make a cage for a parrot with your own hands, detailed drawings are made. They should indicate the dimensions of all components of the structure. The presence of drawings will allow the preparation of parts and subsequent assembly with maximum accuracy, which will ensure acceptable quality of the product and its proper appearance.

Make a list of parts, consisting of groups of elements, size parameters and the purpose of which are the same.

• Wooden components are cut off from the workpiece in accordance with the specified dimensions. Cutting points are ground with an emery cloth to a smooth state. The presence of wood chips and splintering is excluded.
• Metal grid cut with scissors for metal in accordance with the established dimensions. It is not permissible to leave open cells at the edges of the mesh web. The trimming points of the mesh links are processed with an emery cloth to eliminate the likelihood of injuries during assembly and harming the parrot.

The procurement of parts by the principle of grouping facilitates assembly and reduces the time spent on it.

The assembly of the structure is carried out on a modular basis. Separately, the walls, upper and bottom parts are assembled. Wooden slats are interconnected in accordance with the drawing instructions. In order to avoid cracking of the tree in the places where the screws are screwed in, a drilling hole is drilled using a drill whose diameter is half the diameter of the threaded part of the self-tapping screw.

In addition, a secret recess is drilled into which the head of the self-tapping screw sits. For this, a pen drill with a diameter equal to the diameter of the cap is used. The pen drill allows you to drill without chips, as well as provide conical sweating, which will ensure the quality of the fit of the screw head in it.

The metal mesh is attached to the frames of the rails with the help of finishing nails. Their advantage is the presence of a small hat, softness of the material and the ability to control the working length. The nails are driven into the rails so that when bent they can block the rods of the grid at the point of contact. The frequency of driving nails will be optimal if you hammer them through 1-2 mesh links.

The assembled components are assembled in a single design. As parts that enhance the strength of the joints, metal perforated corners are used, which are screwed with screws of the appropriate length.

Self-tapping screws have the property of gradually twisting out as a result of the susceptibility of the tree to expansion-contraction processes, due to its reaction to changes in temperature indicators and the degree of air humidity.

On one side of the cage should be equipped with a frame for mounting the door. It consists of two rack circuits. The outer contour is the base to which the door frame is attached.

The hinges holding the door must be outside. So you can limit the ability of birds to have access to iron parts.

The design of the cell should include a double bottom. The first is a metal mesh, and the second is fiberboard. When designing a cell, it is necessary to take into account the availability of access to the second bottom. This will allow regular cleaning of the cell.

Watch the video tutorial on making a DIY parrot kitten on.

The construction of a cage for a parrot is not limited to the assembly of the main frame. For a full life, the bird needs the presence of devices that provide food and water.

To equip these devices, you can use the properties of the metal mesh from which the cell walls are made. Water or feed containers are hung on mesh cells with homemade hooks made of durable wire.

For a comfortable living parrot in a cage you need to equip a perch. To do this, you can use the homemade crossbar, which lies with the edges in the mesh cells located on opposite walls. In most cases, there is no need to permanently fix the perch. It is periodically removed to clean the litter.

The simplest accessory in a parrot cage is a swing. They are made of two pieces of steel wire. Loops are bent on both sides of each segment. A wooden rung is inserted into one pair of loops, on which the bird will sit, and the other pair of loops is fixed on the ceiling of the cage, while maintaining the possibility of a pendulum move.