MorningGloria
Sprinting down the street
Even for the brids who are not caged all day. Where do they spend most of their time? On top of their tiny cage? So with that in mind, are they truly ut of the cage", as they are forced to spend much of their time on/near their cage. I think everyone should buy a large cage, as it works for the BIRD. It shouldnt matter if it works for the people or not. If they cannot do what works for the bird species that require a big cage, perhaps that species just isnt fit for them.
Unless you have just a tiny sleep cage and the bird spends NO time on/near it until night time, and then only many playstands to forage,etc, then I'd think it'd be ok. And this should be told along with the "minimum" sizes. If you have a tiny cage and your bird is out of its cage most of the day but is ontop of the cage most o fthe day, you need to get a MUCH bigger cage.
When I first got Archy he came with a 24 x 24. It was HORRENDOUS. Various online sources and even the pet store said it would be just fine especially since he would only be in it while I was in classes (a few hours a day). Upgrading the cage made a mountain of a difference in his activity level and behavior, and now that I know better I would never, ever go less than 36" unless it is literally just the 12 hours he is covered and sleeping.
You hit the nail on the head when you said what works for the people as opposed to what works for the bird. A bird will likely adapt to a teensy cage, but you'll have a much happier, healthier bird in the long run if he has a cage large enough to flap about.
I think it's understandable to have a minimum when you're starting out. The start up costs can be quite high, but some of the minimums quoted online are just insane. I think small birds like parakeets and canaries get it the worst.
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