The minimum height should be 3 times the length from head to tail of the bird. There should be at least 2 wing beats between perches. Your bird should be able to turn around on his perch without his tail feathers hitting the cage. Even small birds require large cages. Two finches, for instance, require 3-4 square feet of space, so they will have room to fly around. [2] X Research source
A long low cage is better than a narrow high one (such as a parrot cage) because it allows the birds to fly and glide.
Concrete perch – These solid perches provide a good place for birds to groom. They should be set away from food, water and toys. Natural branch perch – These are better than wooden dowels because their uneven shape means the bird will put pressure on different parts of its feet each time it perches. Choose branches from orchard wood trees such as apple, plum, pear, but not cherry. Cut the branch to fit the cage, scrub and clean it with detergent, and let it dry in the sun. Next, heat the branch for 45 minutes in a 200°F oven to kill any insects. Allow to cool before placing it in your bird’s cage. Manmade perch – Untreated cotton rope makes for a good perch, as it is toxin free and can be easily washed.
Clean the cage – Remove the bird and all toys and perches. Clean up all seeds and droppings from the cage and scrub it with hot soapy water, and then spray with a disinfectant. Rinse and let air dry completely before replacing toys and perches. Clean the perches and toys – Remove droppings with dishwashing detergent. Use sandpaper if necessary to clean dropping off of wooden perches and toys. Wash and rinse by hand or in dishwasher, and then spray with disinfectant. Rinse thoroughly and air dry or oven dry (250° for 10-15 minutes) before returning items to the cage. Save time by having two sets of toys and perches and even two cages, so that your bird can be comfortable in one while you clean the other.
Mix 3 cups of hot water, 3 tablespoons of baking soda, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice in a spray bottle. Mix 1 cup of distilled vinegar and 1 gallon of water.
A PTFE-coated pan boils dry or is heated while empty. Never boil water in a PTFE coated pan. Used as a drip pan under burners. PTFE releases toxic chemicals starting at 536°F, and drip pans can easily reach 600°F or hotter. Scratched. Scratched or otherwise damaged non-stick pans can release toxic chemicals at lower temperatures. Throw them out.
Stain repellants like StainMaster and Scotchguard Space heaters and heat lamp covers Non-stick irons and ironing board covers Hair dryers Non-stick cooking devices like griddles, waffle makers, electric skillets, bread makers, and popcorn poppers Non-stick slow cookers Ceramic cooking stoves
Carbon monoxide – Invisible, tasteless, and odorless, carbon monoxide is produced by fires, automobile exhaust, and central heating units. Even if you don’t have a bird, you should have a carbon monoxide detector in your home to protect you and your family. Natural gas – If you use gas for heat or cooking, a leak in the line or an unlit pilot light can result in high levels of natural gas that can prove fatal for birds (and deadly for people). Check your pilots regularly, and position your bird’s cage far from sources of natural gas like fireplaces or heaters. Overheated cooking surfaces. Don’t heat oil or butter on high, as this can produce dangerous fumes. And take your bird out of the house if using the “self clean” mode on your oven. Hair sprays, perfumes, spray-on cooking oil. Basically, anything that sprays, particularly aerosols, can release chemicals that are dangerous to your bird. Move your bird to a separate, well-ventilated room before using these products. Pesticides like bug bombs or insect sprays. Organic solvents found in nail polish remover, gasoline, glue, paint, or mothballs.
Dishwashing soap and water White vinegar and water (1 cup vinegar per 2 gallons of water) Steam from a handheld steamer Laundry detergent for fabrics (but don’t use fabric softener on fabrics your bird will touch) Grapefruit seed extract (about 35 drops ber 32oz. of water), makes for an effective disinfectant[22] X Research source Baking soda (1/4 cup per gallon of water)
Alcohol Chocolate Caffeine Avocado Raw meat Raw dairy Seeds from apples Pits from stone fruits (apricots, cherries, peaches, and plums) Peanuts Raw onions Cassava root Raw mushrooms Rhubarb
