Making a cage for a parrot with your own hands

Parrot - bird of tropical origin. Distinctive signs - motley color of plumage, lively disposition and ability to imitate human speech. This genus of birds is marked by a large number of subspecies.

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

Specific requirements are made to the characteristics of the feed and the conditions in which exotic birds are kept at home. As a dwelling for a parrot and means of its isolation from the environment is used lattice cell. This device allows you to provide adequate conditions for a comfortable life, while maintaining the possibility of communication with the outside world, as parrots bred in captivity are extremely social.

There are various cell modifications for a parrot, differing in the presence of certain functional capabilities. The cost of some copies may be $ 1,000. Along with them, low-end models are available at the zoo market, available to the average buyer. In addition, following the instructions, you can design a cage with your own hands, which will allow 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 - 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 dependence on constant physical exertion. The cell size is calculated taking into account this fact.

Parrots - representatives of the genus of birds, which are extremely sensitive to factors of external influence. They are easily amenable to disease, it is hard to survive molting and periods of physiological craving for reproduction. Along with this, it can be noted that they are demanding of the materials from which the cell is made. Their environmental friendliness and safety is important.

The physical condition of the parrot directly depends on the design features of the dwelling. In some cages, supplements are provided that give the bird the opportunity to meet its energy needs and gain access to water and food. Among such additions can be noted:

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

There are various modifications of parrot stands, which can be assembled by yourself at home. Before assembly, it is necessary to prepare the appropriate materials and tools.

The list of materials directly depends on various types of cell construction. Their differences from each other are reduced to the difference in the configuration of the case. Among the common types of cells include:

• latticed with all-metal housing;
• cellular all-metal;
• lattice combined;
• cell combination;
• plastic, wooden.

The all-metal case is a structure assembled from a metal mesh with a square cell or grid sheets interconnected by means of spot welding or other fastening materials.

The combined version of the case combines a wooden or plastic frame holding onto the grid or mesh material. In this case, the grid can be made of plastic, and the bars of the lattice - from wood.

The optimal design of the cell is a combination. Its features allow you to assemble the device without extra costs for materials using a minimum set of tools.

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

• metal mesh with a square cell, the cell size should not exceed 20 mm;
• wooden slats planed, average parameters of the rails 15x30 mm;
• plywood or fiberboard with a thickness of up to 5 mm;
• consumable metal products - self-tapping screws, finishing nails, hinges, perforated mounting angles, drill bits.

The grid that will be used as the base material for the cell walls should have minimum dimensional characteristics. This will reduce the weight of the entire structure and facilitate the assembly process.

The size of the wooden slats is not fixed. As this material, you can use slats with different sizes. At the same time, it is important to take into account the weight factor of the structure. The narrower and thinner the wooden components, the less its final weight. It is undesirable to use unplaned wood. The presence of irregularities, splinters and wood dust can adversely affect the condition of the bird, which will be kept in the cage.

To arrange the bottom part of the structure, it is recommended to use fiberboard. This material has several advantages compared with plywood. At least one side of the fiberboard is covered with a water-repellent layer that provides the best possible operation in 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, self-tapping screws after screwing should not protrude from the other side. The pitch of their thread should be selected taking into account the minimum risk of splitting wood at the time of screwing. The width of the mounting metal corners must match the width of the wooden slats. The protrusion of the corners around the perimeter of the frame

The values ​​of drill diameters should correspond to two values: 1) the diameter of the cap of the self-tapping screws, 2) the diameter of the threaded part divided by 2.

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

• saw blades for wood (hacksaw or jigsaw);
• drill, screwdriver;
• hammer;
• scissors for metal;
• medium grit emery sheet;
• Phillips screwdriver;
• measuring devices (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 must indicate the dimensions of all composite parts of the structure. The presence of the drawings will allow the preparation of parts and subsequent assembly with maximum accuracy, which will ensure an acceptable quality of the product and its proper appearance.

It is necessary to make a list of parts consisting of groups of elements size parameters and purpose of which are the same.

• Wood The components are sawn off from the workpiece in accordance with the specified dimensions. Cutting places are ground with sandpaper to a smooth condition. The presence of chipped wood and splinters is excluded.
• Metal grid cut with metal shears in accordance with established dimensions. It is unacceptable to leave unclosed cells on the edges of the net canvas. The trim points of the mesh links are treated with sandpaper to eliminate the possibility of injury during assembly and damage to the parrot.

Procurement of parts on the principle of grouping facilitates assembly and reduces the time spent on it.

The assembly of the structure is made according to the modular principle. Separately, the walls, top and bottom parts are assembled. Wooden slats are interconnected in accordance with the drawing instructions. In order to avoid cracking of the wood in the places where the screws are screwed in, the planting hole is drilled using a drill, the diameter of which is two times smaller than the diameter of the screw part of the screw.

In addition, a secret deepening is drilled into which the cap of the screw is seated. To do this, use a drill bit with a diameter equal to the diameter of the cap. The feather drill allows drilling without chipping, as well as provide a conical sweat that will ensure the quality of the fitting of the screw head in it.

The metal mesh is attached to the framework of the rails with the help of finishing nails. Their advantage lies in the presence of a small cap, soft material and the ability to control the working length. The nails are driven into the slats in such a way that, when bent, they can overlap the grid rods at the point of their contact. The frequency of driving nails will be optimal if you hammer them through 1-2 grid links.

Assembled parts are assembled into a single structure. As parts that enhance the strength of the joints, metal perforated corners are used, which are screwed with screws of the appropriate length.

Screws tend to gradually get out as a result of the susceptibility of the tree to the processes of expansion-contraction, due to its reaction to temperature changes and the degree of humidity in the air.

On one side of the cage, a frame should be installed, which provides for mounting the door. It consists of two rack contours. 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 cell structure should include a double bottom. The first is a metal mesh, and the second is fiberboard. When designing a cage, it is necessary to take into account the availability of access to the second bottom. This will allow regular cleaning of the cage.

Watch a video parrot maker video tutorial for yourself.

Designing a cage for a parrot is not limited to assembling the main frame. For the full life of the bird is necessary availability of devices that provide food and water.

For the arrangement of 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 self-made hooks made from durable wire.

For a comfortable stay of a parrot in a cage you need to equip the roost. To do this, you can use a self-made crossbar, which lies on the edges of the grid cells located on opposite walls. In most cases, there is no need to permanently fix the perch. It is periodically removed for cleaning from 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 crossbar is inserted into one pair of loops, on which a bird will sit, and another pair of loops is fixed on the ceiling part of the cage while maintaining the possibility of a pendulum move.