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Caiques Cages

Caiques standing on a wood stick

Since caiques don’t really enjoy flying, your cage doesn’t need much height. Instead, look for something that’s wide enough to include several branches where they can perch, hop or roost. You may try looking at cages meant for cockatiels, but get the biggest you can find.

Caiques don’t have very strong beaks, so you can get a lightweight cage. The wire should be 2 x 1/2 inches or 2 x1 inches. Don’t get anything made of clear acrylic or Plexiglas, since they need mesh or bars to satisfy their instinct to climb. Enthusiasts also warn against buying small mesh hardware cloth, which tends to contain high levels of Zinc. That metal has

been found to be toxic for birds.

Many caique owners recommend preparing a roost box. These birds need to hide when they sleep, and will become nervous or jittery if they are exposed during the night.

Since most commercial cages don’t have roost boxes, you will need to make a few “design renovations.” Just buy a cockatiel or budgie nest box. You may have to make the whole a little bigger, so your caique can enter without risk of hurting its wings.

Then, remove a few bars from your cage to make a hole as big as the box entrance. About two or three will do.

The last step is to install the box on the cage. You will need a drill, nuts and bolts, flat washers, and fender bolts. Just create holes on the box, and try to place the bolts in such a way that they are slightly higher the horizontal bar. That will prevent the box from slowly slipping downwards.

Fill the roost box with beddings, preferably wood shavings. Just make sure the wood hasn’t been treated with copper or ammoniac copper arsenate. To be safe, buy from a trusted pet store. You can also add an extra layer of paper towels just in case the bird has “accidents”. Change the towels every day.

Caiques will be much happier if they have at least three perches. Choose one made from hard wood. This may be more expensive, but since the birds love chewing, softer wood will be in splinters by the end of the week. If you are making your own perches from branches found in your own back yard, sterilize them by baking in an oven at 225°F.for about 20 minutes. You can also soak them in a chlorine bleach solution.