Cockatiels make great pets, they are cute and entertaining. They have plump gray bodies with a burst of yellow on their face and neck. When getting ready for a new friend the cockatiels cages size is important to make them feel at home. The cockatiels cage setup is another important aspect for your new pet, setting it up to ensure long-lasting health and happiness is key. However, despite the cockatiel’s attractiveness, they are not known for keeping their cockatiel cages in good order. Because cockatiels are relatively small in size, they don’t need an exceptionally large bird cage. But their birdcage does require regular cleaning and maintenance to keep it smelling fresh.
Cockatiel Cage Size
As a guideline, a cockatiel cage should be a minimum of 20 inches wide, 20 inches deep, and 24 inches height. Typically most medium sized cage should work well, just make sure that it is as long as it is wide. Another important aspect of finding the right cockatiel cage size is to pay attention to the spacing of the bars. If your bars are spaced too far apart, your cockatiel can get their head stuck between them, resulting in stress or injury. To avoid this, measure the distance between the bars, the cockatiel cage should have a spacing of 1/2″ or 5/8″. Since cockatiels love to climb on the bars of their cages, try to find a cage with horizontal bars rather than vertical ones.
Cockatiel Cage Setup
When it comes to the happiness of your cockatiel, the cage set up is important. There are several items you need to have in order for your bird terrarium to be comfortable for your pet.
Placement
Cockatiels have a very good sense of smell and are affected by strong smells such as insecticides, smoke, and air fresheners. These strong fragrances can harm your cockatiel. Because of this, keep the cage completely away from harmful odors. It is also important to keep your cockatiel cage placed away from any doors or windows as the birds do not like drafts.
Perches
For a comfortable cage, provide a variety of places for your bird to perch on around the cage. To keep your cockatiel healthy, you should place different width perches around the cage since a bird’s feet need to adjust to different widths regularly to keep the joints flexible, or serious foot problems can develop.
The ideal cage set up should have plenty of perches for the number of cockatiels in your cage, but not too many that it is crowded. Having different levels of perches is ideal, the cockatiel will gravitate to the higher ones but will enjoy the options once comfortable in the space. Too not overwhelm your new cockatiel try only incorporating a few perches at a time and keeping at mid-level and slowly introducing higher ones. This will help your cockatiel get assimilated with its new home.
Food and Water
When it comes to the proper setup of your cockatiels cade, there should be plenty of food bowls available per bird. A good rule is to have an extra bowl, this extra bowl will give your bird a choice on where they want to eat. Since birds have a high metabolism, it is important that they have consistent access to food during the day.
Deciding on the location of the food bowl is also important, the cockatiel feels the most vulnerable when they are on the ground due to predators. Attaching the food bowls to the sides of the cage is better for the stress of your cockatiel and will increase their happiness.
Nuritition of the cockatiel will be based on the food that they eat, getting high quality pellets will keep your cockatiel from getting sick. Another item that your cockatiel may need for nutrients is both a cuttlebone and a mineral block. It gives the bird a chance to exercise its chewing instinct, since the bird’s beak is always growing, and an outlet for chewing helps wear it down.
Toys
Toys are a great energy outlet for your cockatiel. To help you choose a good toy, try to imagine what they would do in the wild. Birds have a need to chew, they do this in the wild to survive and during nesting. Choose toys that allow your bird to chew, shred and ones that have loose strings.
One popular toy that is widely chosen is bells. Bells make a sound that entices the birds and give them the opportunity to grab the clapper which they seem to enjoy. Some birds have even been known to wear them as a hat.
How to Clean Your Cockatiel Cages
When it comes to cleaning cockatiel cages, you’ll need the basics—water, cloths and some type of non-toxic cleaning solution. Wipe the bird cage down at least weekly. Be sure to disinfect the bird-supplies as well. This includes perches, water dishes and feeding equipment. A dirty parrot cage will only make your adorable cockatiel sick.
We all know that bird ownership is a big responsibility. And finding the time required to keep your cockatiel cages clean, can be a huge challenge. Consequently, you need to find a birdcage that is easy to sanitize.
The bird enclosures offered by Custom Cages are extremely simple to clean and maintain. All cages, including finch cages, canary cages and lovebird cages, come with a pullout tray to remove soiled bedding, fallen food and debris. Disposable liners also fit nicely in the bottom of these trays, so all you have to do is remove the dirty layer and throw it away. These cockatiel cages also have a pull out floor, which means you can crawl inside to scrub those hard to reach spots.
Quick Tip: Be sure to clean your cockatiel cages on a weekly basis. If you let waste pile up, it will harden, stink and be twice as difficult to clean later. Your cockatiel will be much happier with a sparkling clean bird cage that promotes his health.
About Custom Cages
Custom Cages has a relentless commitment to quality, standing behind our products, and constant innovation that has allowed the company to flourish to over 50 employees and growing. Although we now have over 30,000sf of state of the art equipment, as well as a team of well trained expert staff, the principles remain the same. Every unit is built one at a time by our proud and expert craftsman, custom built for your needs. Contact Custom Cages for your next custom bird cages, reptile cages, or snake enclosures.