GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The cage is designed as a large flight cage for perhaps a half-dozen small birds. There are no gaps larger than ½ inch, so it is ideal for small birds. There is much space for the birds to fly, and four multi-compartment feeding watering trays---enough to accommodate many birds simultaneously and to hold a variety of foods. With modification, it can be used for medium size birds (up to the size of an African Gray or Amazon).
Some reviewers complain that the cage (at 53" tall) is not as tall as it looks. Actually, the height may be ideal, particularly for parrots. If your parrot is lower than your eye-level, then you are "dominant", and he/she is likely to obey you, otherwise not. It might be coincidental, but my Senegal, which bit me at least once a month when living in a taller cage has not bitten me since I moved him to this new shorter cage a year ago.
The vertical design is convenient for home-owners, but not ideal for birds. Height (elevation) is important to all birds, and socially significant for parrots. Parrots (particularly) will make little use of the bottom half of the cage--unless you place all the appealing toys down there. (But, if you do that, they'll quickly become covered with droppings and therefore become unappealing). Caveat, you can make the top half of the cage a dark zone (for sleeping) and/or warm zone (in the winter) by covering it with a dark cloth---which also encourages use of the bottom half of the cage--in which case, you need water dishes, feeding dishes, and toys in the bottom half.
ALTERNATIVES
More recently, I also purchased a very similar "ferret" cage,
Prevue Hendryx 485 Pet Products Feisty Ferret Home with Stand, Black Hammertone
which I find to be more appropriate for medium and large birds, even though the FO40 has some desirable features.
> The middle shelf of the 485 makes a nice needed large platform (no middle shelf is included in the FO40).
> The removable door in the middle shelf of the 485 makes the cage instantly convertible into 2 cages.
> The "lift-out-able" top shelf of the 485 is makes access for cleaning and installing large items (e.g. tree branches, breeding boxes) much easier.
> The sliding hatch in the top shelf of the 485 makes easy critter access to the top for playgrounds etc.
> The huge front doors of the 485 make easy access or cleaning and installing large items (e.g. tree branches, breeding boxes) much easier.
> The small plastic (or maybe metal in some shipments) platforms of the 485 are nice accessories.
> The larger bar spacing of the 485 makes it possible to pet your pet's head, and hand-feed him/her without opening the cage.
> The slide-out lower platform of the FO40 is much easier to clean (the lower platform of the 485 "lifts" out, but does not slide out).
> The feeding doors of the FO40 provide more options for placement of feeding watering dishes (NO feeding doors are included in the 485).
> The included perches and feeding trays of the FO40 are a bonus for owners of small birds.
There is a larger version of the F040, the
Prevue Hendryx F050 Pet Products Wrought Iron Flight Cage, X-Large, Hammertone Black
QUALITY
Very good construction quality. Mine arrived in perfect condition.
OVERALL DESIGN
> Except for the odd number of perch poles the design is ALMOST two independent cages, one on top of the other. Indeed, the addition of an intermediate shelf (NOT included) could convert it to two independent cages. Unfortunately, a "home-made" (non-slide-out) intermediate shelf would be nearly impossible to clean regularly.
> The cage is an attractive almost "wrought-iron" pewter color. This "night camouflage" color scheme is also perfect for hiding bird droppings.
> There are 2 large doors in front, and 6 small doors (total) on the sides.
> Three 3/4" diameter longitudinal perch poles are included.
> The 4 dishes can also be located almost anywhere, but are most handy adjacent to the doors.
> The legs of the cage are rubber tipped--a nice feature if you decide not to use the rollers.
> The black plastic waste tray slides out for cleaning. A bottom shelf, above the waste tray does not slide out with the waste tray, but can slide out separately. So, you can slide either out, independently, to clean, with no danger of the birds escaping.
THE PERCH POLES
> The 3/4" diameter dowels (perch poles) are a bit large for finches, and other small birds---I recommended adding some 3/8" and 1/2" diameter perches.
> Nominally, the included perch poles can be placed anywhere within the cage. But in fact, the perch poles cannot be placed near the panel edges (i.e., where shown in the photo) after the cage is assembled (at least not without substantially loosening the screws). So, if you want the perch poles at those locations, install them while assembling the cage.
> The excessive number of small doors, and their locations, greatly restricts the placement of the perch poles---especially for large birds which need some headroom and tailroom---the small doors seem to be in most of the prime locations for the perch poles.
> The vertical bar-design also reduces the potential placement of perch poles (there are few vertical "stops"). This is another reason I would have preferred a 1 1/2" mesh for larger birds.
> The included perch poles are softwood, easily destroyed by parrots. My Senegal destroyed them within a month.
THE FEEDING/WATERING TRAYS
> The arrangement of the 4 trays shown in the photo is NOT recommended. The lower feeding trays can easily be contaminated by feces. Lower watering trays can be contaminated by both feces and food thrown out of the upper trays.
> The ideal location of the trays is all at the same level, in the upper 1/3 of the cage. Unfortunately the small doors are not well situated for such an arrangement. But there is no "law" that says you have to use the small doors for access---feeding trays could be placed on each side of the upper large door.
> A medium-size or larger parrot will quickly destroy the plastic feeding/watering trays--so there is no point in installing them if your have medium or larger sized parrots.
MODIFYING TO A PLAY CAGE---FOR BIGGER BIRDS
I purchased the cage as a play cage for my medium-size parrot (a Senegal). It is not ideal for this purpose, but can be modified. I would have preferred a 1½ mesh for my larger bird to be able to feed him treats, scratch his head, etc., without opening the cage. A medium-size or larger parrot will quickly destroy the plastic watering trays--so there is no point in installing them. A medium-size or larger parrot is strong enough to force open the side doors, so these need to be wired shut or locked shut. A medium-size or larger parrot cannot really fly in the cage, so it needs climbing and other "recreational facilities". I constructed several platforms with 20 ½" long 5/8" diameter dowels. One platform is for a "swimming pool"--actually a terra cotta plant dish. The terra cotta dish is actually ideal for the purpose---1) it is too heavy for a parrot to lift and dump, 2) evaporation from the sides and bottom keeps the water cool and fresher, and 3) the rough surface is easy for bird feet to grip. One platform is for a "breeding box"--I actually just use a cardboard box which my parrot can hide in to sleep, or to get out of the wind, (or destroy for fun) etc. Other platforms are for toys, all connected by several 2' long ladders. The flat top is a good surface for an "outside" playground. I suggest covering the top with a green or black towel---birds instinctively fear attack from above---and are most comfortable with a ceiling.
The 20 1/2"-long X 5/8" diameter dowel rods I use are cut from inexpensive "Home Depot" "48-inch hardwood dowels". Softwood dowels are quickly destroyed by parrots. Indeed, my Senegal's favorate "chew toys" are 2' softwood ladders.
THE SMALL DOORS
> The 6 small spring-loaded doors may be ideal for finches and other really small birds, but are mostly annoying and unnecessary for larger birds. I would have preferred vertical doors which would interfere less with perch placement, and could easily be made lockable.
> Presumably, the 6 small doors are for access to the 4 included feeding/watering trays, but still seems to be at least 2 doors too many.
> There is no easy way to lock the spring doors (but leave them easily openable) which could defeat a smart parrot. Even a hefty and determined parakeet can probably force a door open---so if you use the cage for parakeets and larger birds, the only practical solution is to permanently wire the small doors (or most of them) shut. A paper-clip may work as a "lock" (if your parrot doesn't see you install it). I've installed a feeding dish ON a door, on the theory that my Senegal will not be able to both push open the door, and squeeze out with the dish in the way---so far, it has worked out very well.
Loving Pets Coop-Cup with Bolt Holder Pet Bowl, 10-Ounce
<< highly recommended, much easier to remove to clean than the included plastic feeders.
THE BIG DOORS
> Although the big doors are big enough for most purposes, I would have preferred to also have the entire front panels to be openable, for the purpose of adding large boxes or large natural tree limbs, etc. The "traditional" door lock mechanism is barely adequate.
ASSEMBLY
> As in assembling all such "furniture", initially install the screws loosely (i.e., with perhaps 1/4" remaining to be screwed in), and tighten all when finished.
> As noted above, if you want the perch poles to be located near the panel edges (as shown in the photo) install them during cage assembly.
> Similarly, although the wheels should be installed last, you may have to lay the cage on its side and use a soft hammer (or a short length of 2x4 to hammer them into place.
> There were no "missing holes" (reported by some reviewers) on my cage. It is entirely possible that the holes were NOT missing on those reviewers' cages either. The upper and lower front panels are NOT interchangeable (the upper has those holes, the lower does not). Same for the upper and lower back panels: upper panel has holes, lower does not.
> The instructions are fairly good, but require some talent at assembling such things.
> No tools are needed except for the included allen wrench. However, there are alot of screws. An electric screwdriver with a hex bit the right size makes the project much easier.
> The cage can be assembled by one person, but a helper can make it easier.
> It would be ideal if there were removable stickers on the panels "A", "B", etc., but there aren't. However, you can identify the panels with a little logic.
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE COMPONENTS
Shelves (have no doors and are fully framed {except for top shelf})
G> Slide-in Shelf (just above the black waste tray): The only fully-framed panel with a handle
C1> Bottom Shelf (above the wheels): The only fully-framed panel without a handle
C2> Top Shelf: The only incompletely-framed panel the same size as the Slide-in Shelf and the Bottom Panel
Side Panels (are the only small panels and are the only panels with small doors): The upper and lower sides are NOT interchangeable. Be sure to assemble with doors opening outward.
L3, R3> 2 Upper Side Panels (left and right; interchangeable): The two panels with 2 small doors each
L2, R2> 2 Lower Side Panels (left and right; interchangeable): The two panels with 1 small door each
Back Panels (the only big panels with no doors and with a frame on only on the bottom edge): The upper and lower panels are NOT interchangeable
B2> Upper Back Panel: has 2 holes on bottom side of the frame into which bar wires from the lower panel fit.
B1> Lower Back Panel: does not have the two holes
Front Panels (the only panels with large doors; and have a frame on only on the bottom edge): The upper and lower panels are NOT interchangeable. Be sure to assemble with doors opening outward.
F2> Upper Front Panel: has 2 holes on bottom side of the frame into which bar wires from the lower panel fit.
F1> Lower Front Panel: has 1 asymmetrical hole on front of bottom edge of the frame--this is for the "bell" (which is installed with the one short screw) which locks the Slide-in Shelf in place.
GENERAL ADVICE TO PARROT OWNERS
If your parrot is in a particularly uncooperative mood, stand on a short stool---the taller you are, the more "authority" you have. Once you've got the parrot, tightly wrap him up in a towel for at least 15 minutes while holding, stroking, and cooing to the towel---that regresses your parrot to the "baby" mode (smothered under mama's wing), and will make him/her more compliant. Even if your bird does not have the opportunity to fly, he knows he can (or not)---a wing-clipping can also regress an aggressive parrot back to "helpless" baby mode.
> Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.
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From the manufacturer
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PLAYTOPSChoose from bird cages with play tops that allow additional freedom for your pet to play and roam |
STACKABLESUsing dividers or stackable cages allow you to separate your pets and give them their own space. |
TRAVELABLEWhether you're heading to the vet or simply moving from one room to the next, our smaller cages with handles allow for easy travel. |
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Customer Review: Awesome.
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Customer Review: Great cage! Lots of room! 🐦🦜
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Customer reviews
Gorgeous large cage! (XL cage for my 2 cockatiels)
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2018
I got this cage in the extra large size and I am super pleased with it! It is perfect for my two cockatiels, and definitely has room for a few more. The boys have lots of room to flap and climb and plenty of room for lots of perches and toys. The cage is very sturdy and the measurements are true to the description.My cage came in undamaged, however, it was missing all of the screws, tools, and wheels, so I was unable to build it when it came in. I called Prevue customer service and they were very helpful and they sent me everything I needed about a week later at no cost to me. I suppose I could have taken a star off for that, but to be honest this cage is perfect and they fixed the issue, so I chose to give it the full rating.I personally decided to zip-tied the side cage doors shut, they are spring-based and I didn't want the birds messing with them and I wasn't going to use them, so I shut them. The main 2 doors have a sorta weird closing mechanism (a sliding bar) but its grown on me and seems pretty safe. If you have a troublesome clever bird, perhaps add another clip to the doors to keep them shut.The cage came with 3 perches and 4 bowls. The perches are very nice , the bowls are okay too but I didn't end up using all of them. The cage bottom has a grill but I chose not to put it in because my birds prefer being able to touch a bottom with bedding instead of bars. There are 2 sliding areas to put the grill and the tray, the top is supposed to be for the grill and the bottom for the tray. What I did was I removed the grill completely and slid the tray in the top slot. There is no gap large enough for them to get out with this method. Putting the cage together is very simple, but it can be helpful to have a helper to help hold things in place.Overall, really pleased! I recommend this cage to anyone who has asked me on my bird instagram account (bink.screech). It is very roomy and functional and beautiful, I am incredibly pleased with this purchase!(for size reference, I am 5'8'' and this is the extra large cage)edit: I bought this in 2018 and it is now 2021! My birds still love this huge cage! I would recommend, however, adding an extra clip to the doors of the cage to keep them shut. One of my birds is playing with the mechanism and I'm afraid he is learning how to open it, so to keep him safe I added an extra clip to the doors (just something that helps stop the mechanism from sliding unless I take it off).Besides that, no complaints! The cage is still gorgeous and all the parts held up well. No rusting at all! They did chew through one of the perches that came with the cage, but thats no surprise to any bird owner haha.
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2018
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Top reviews from other countries
Lynda F.
Perfect and very roomy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2021Size: X-LargeColor: Black HammertoneVerified Purchase
Jenny
I really wanted to like it
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2020Size: X-LargeColor: Black HammertoneVerified Purchase
GeeGee
So so beautiful!
Reviewed in Canada on December 10, 2017Size: LargeColor: Black HammertoneVerified Purchase
So so beautiful!
Reviewed in Canada on December 10, 2017
This cage is way better than I expected. By no means is it cheap, but is actually very excellent quality. I have two pairs of zebra finches that I hand raised from hatchlings and as they fight I needed to get a cage I could divide (I didn’t want two cages as it can look cluttery). This cage is big enough and worked out perfectly. Absolutely love and recommend it.
Reviewed in Canada on December 10, 2017
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Haley1985
Huge cage love it 😀
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2021Size: X-LargeColor: Black HammertoneVerified Purchase
Huge cage love it 😀
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2021
Arrived damaged but Amazon were quick to send a replacement, I absolutely love the cage my babies have a palace
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2021
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Gina
Nice priced cage,
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2019Size: LargeColor: Black HammertoneVerified Purchase
