Flight Cage Raised Bottom

[enigma731]

I'm looking into doing a raised bottom cage for my head injury bird Kev. Basically her balance is bad, so she falls frequently and I'm worried about it in the longterm even with padding. So I'd like to raise the bottom in order to let her perch at the same height as her neighbors in other flight cages, but without so far to fall.

Has anyone done this? Or does anyone have tips on what techniques/materials to use?

 

[Zara]

I believe @Fuzzy has done this

If you put two or three cage length dowels across, couldn´t you rest the drop tray on top? you would have to remove all the dowels to get the tray out for a good clean though.

 

[Tanya]

Is it possible to lower the perches? I did this with Rhubarb when she was sick and it worked fairly well. Not all birds will accept low perches though. During the time she was a fall risk I'd take old, clean towels (from the thrift store) and put them on the bottom of her cage underneath the paper. That way, even if she did fall, it was onto a nice soft bottom instead of hard bars covered in paper.

 

[enigma731]

She won't accept it, she struggles to climb anyway and ends up falling more. I already have the bottom padded but she's had some issues with bashing up her wing tips on things while falling, so I'd really like to create a situation where falls are minimized because she can get to her preferred height without having to work hard.

 

[enigma731]

Also she's a year out from her injury so this is a permanent condition, hence wanting to optimize her environment in a way she prefers.

 

[taxidermynerd]

A long time ago I did this, I cut a piece of sturdy cardboard to size and put it in halfway up, supporting it with rope perches underneath. FOr my budgie it worked, only had it in for a month. I'm sure there's a better way but my brain can't figure it out right now.

 

[Peachfaced]

I've temporarily altered the cage using cardboard and perches underneath to keep it steady, but you could get an inexpensive cage (like a breeder style one) so that she cannot go up much. @webchirp has several for her elderly birds and posted some photos recently.

 

[Mizzely]

What about using something like this to attach boards onto which you could put a grate, plexiglass, etc? 2x4 Holder Birdy Brackets

Or you could even use furring strips and hanger bolts drilled into the ends to achieve a similar effect.

 

[Monica]

I would go with wooden dowels or 2x2 to 2x4's the width of the cage (rather than length) and possibly wingnut and washers to keep them in place... and put the tray on top of that.

IF you already have the flight cage that is.

 

[enigma731]

She lives in half of a divided double with her former cagemates. I had to put the divider in because one of them started picking on her after she got hurt, but she seems to like the company so I'd rather keep her in the cage and alter it as opposed to getting another.

I'm torn between suspending a raised bottom or doing something like stacked foam blocks covered in fleece. Those are all really interesting ideas!

 

[Tanya]

She lives in half of a divided double with her former cagemates. I had to put the divider in because one of them started picking on her after she got hurt, but she seems to like the company so I'd rather keep her in the cage and alter it as opposed to getting another.

I'm torn between suspending a raised bottom or doing something like stacked foam blocks covered in fleece. Those are all really interesting ideas!

Since she's in a divided double, it might be a good idea to put a solid barrier between the vertical spacer on her side, between the lift material and her cagemates. Foam could be dangerous for them to chew and cardboard dangerous for her... If the base shifts and leaves a cavity, she could get stuck in the bottom, pressed against the divider with no way to climb out. A little redundancy/backup is always a good idea with birds!

 

[Hankmacaw]

@Danita put in a raised bottom for Bea years ago. It was quite successful. I'm sure she can give you some pointers.

 

[enigma731]

@Tanya that's very true. I like the idea of suspending the actual cage tray on perches, and then covering it with fleece. That seems like the safest bet so far.

 

[enigma731]

I suspended the cage grate on rope perches. The grate had a handle I had to cut off with a dremel tool, but otherwise it was pretty straightforward. Kev seems to love it so far!

 

[sunnysmom]

That looks great! What a nice set up for Kevin.

 

[enigma731]

She's doing GREAT adapting to it so far, which makes me feel even better about how it's going to work for her mobility. I want to give her more toys eventually but first I need her to just learn how to move through this space.

 

[enigma731]

Some additional good news: We've been fighting pressure sores on one of her feet because she sits crooked due to her balance issues. It was basically the same for a month despite treatment but now look at this improvement in just 4 days with the new setup!

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

Some additional good news: We've been fighting pressure sores on one of her feet because she sits crooked due to her balance issues. It was basically the same for a month despite treatment but now look at this improvement in just 4 days with the new setup!

View attachment 326424 View attachment 326425

That’s awesome! Love the new setup to, She looks very happy.