A couple ideas! Please read

[SaintJimmy]

Hey guys! I haven't posted in a while but I recently thought of some things I've never seen in much detail here.

Bird cages/bird accesories!

A bird cage... Would be such a perfect enclosure for an adult chameleon of an appropriate size.

Of course bird cages are sold in all different sizes, so even if you had a small chameleon, you could find one with small enough bars so it couldn't escape.

Reasons to get a bird cage:

• Most come with some sort of plastic tray underneath... Drill a hole and put a drain in it for INSTANT easy drainage into a bucket!
• Most come with stands
• Coated metal bars spaced usually 1/2" apart, NO MORE HURT FEET of the chameleon
• Usually look more attractive than a screen cage
• EASY to add dowels into
• EASY to add feeding cups into!
• Easy to clean
• Come in more varieties than reptile cages
• Provide just as good ventilation
• Better doors. I mean come on the doors on our DIY cages are cool, but these are awesome!

I mean, here's an example:

A Prevue Hendryx flight cage, for big birds.

Dimensions:

31" L X 20.5" W X 52" H

The thing is HUGE! Has height and length that makes up for lack of width BIG TIME.

1/2" wire spacing, coated, painted, etc.

Has a rack UNDER the cage! And a plastic pan for the bottom, obviously intended for bird poop and seed, etc, but....

SUPER easy to drill a large hole and add a simple plastic drain.

You can buy bird ladders for it, little dowels, even put your own tree in it if it could support the weight, add feeding cups..

How come we aren't doing this!?

I thought about it so many times, but no one else really does.

AND on top of it... For the size of the cage, and the stuff already in it, it's such a good deal. Way cheaper than a reptile cage that YOU have to add everything! It's around 120$ minus shipping. Way cheap for awesome features, and more space than a reptile cage supplies.

My father and I spent around 600$ total buying pots, plants, cage, rocks, materials for the stand, hardybacker, and buckets to make my stand.

This thing has it all built in. I mean sure, my stand looks like a piece of furniture and is nice wood and all that, but come ON!

Bird cages are the real deal.

I'm going with a bird cage for Brave's big boy enclosure. I mean how can I not!? I don't want to force myself or my family to spend a ridiculous amount of money on cham stuff again.

Like we say here, there's ALWAYS an easier, cheaper, or DIY way to do things rather than go through all the hassle (for example using a water bottle dripper, using fishing line for branch tying, etc etc)

Just a thought!

 

[CarlC]

For large species prone to loosing nails because of screen they work great. The biggest downfall is feeding. Crickets always jump out of cups.

If I was to work with melleri or parsoni since I can't free range it would be my caging of choice.

Carl

 

[SaintJimmy]

For large species prone to loosing nails because of screen they work great. The biggest downfall is feeding. Crickets always jump out of cups.

If I was to work with melleri or parsoni since I can't free range it would be my caging of choice.

Carl

Yeah I know! That's what I was thinking; I was thinking about parsonii or melleri, and especially about my own chameleon, since he lost a nail a while back and it looks very painful.

You could just buy a HUGE cage for a WAYYYY cheaper price than making your own big one.

About the crickets jumping out: Just use dubias, supers, mealworms, pheonix worms, etc, and then hand feed the crix, horns, silkies, and mantids (things that can climb out)!

More bonding and varied diet

 

[TLC]

I'm new to the forums but I've thought about using a large bird cage during the warmer months.

 

[SaintJimmy]

I'm new to the forums but I've thought about using a large bird cage during the warmer months.

Welcome to the forums

You're in the right place for advice.

A bird cage is a great money saver. People tell you that you'll need ventilation, drainage, sturdiness, etc in a cage, and bird cages are perfect.

Just stick a drain in the bottom, put a tray under the cage, and empty the tray every so often.

Ventilation? The thing's made of metal bars, so there's no problem with airflow there.

Nails being ripped out? The thing is coated with paint/plastic, looks pretty, and the 1/2" space between bars prevents any kind of harm to the chameleon's gentle feet.

The cages are MUCH sturdier than any screen cage I've seen. (if I do so much as POKE monty's cage, it'll rattle the entire thing)

The doors are sturdy, easily accessible, etc.

Dowels (branches, perches, whatever) are easily bought and attached, as well as feeding cups, which prevent food like super worms, meal worms, dubia roaches, etc from escaping, and allow you to count prey being consumed can be attached easily too.

Big money, time, etc saver

 

[parisaurusrex]

I use a bird feeder cup! I just moved the mesh around so I could get the screw through it, and boom, removable feeder cup in a stable position! And it also allows him to always know where his food will be. Not sure I would use an actual bird cage for my guy just yet, but it might be good for those HUGE chams! Ziggy is crafty, and until he gets a little chunkier, I don't trust him with bars! haha

 

[SaintJimmy]

I use a bird feeder cup! I just moved the mesh around so I could get the screw through it, and boom, removable feeder cup in a stable position! And it also allows him to always know where his food will be. Not sure I would use an actual bird cage for my guy just yet, but it might be good for those HUGE chams! Ziggy is crafty, and until he gets a little chunkier, I don't trust him with bars! haha

I like fishing line and all for screen, but I hate the fact that I'm damaging the screen sometimes by stretching it out with the weight of things.

The cup does it more than the branches do. I'd love to have me a bird cage, and I've already started planning a bird cage-cham paradise for my little brave.

I love the bird feeding cup though. I'll always keep it!

 

[ridgebax1]

Fiberglass screening is available at places like Lowes and Home Depot. It is not that expensive either and maybe you could use it on the sides of the cage to keep feeders in? In addition to saving money using a bird cage if you have an automatic mister, the fittings used in landscape irrigation systems fit the 1/4 inch hose that comes with the mist systems. They are way cheaper that the connectors used by the retailers of the misters, as is extra hose lengths.

 

[TreeTopChameleons]

I think one of the things you are over looking Saint Jimmy, is humidity. It would be very difficult to maintain humidity in a bird cage without further modifying it.

 

[SaintJimmy]

I think one of the things you are over looking Saint Jimmy, is humidity. It would be very difficult to maintain humidity in a bird cage without further modifying it.

Get a couple live plants, a mister, and even a dripper. How would a screen cage (besides being more dense) keep any more humidity in than a bird cage?

It would be easy

 

[shaunaroxanne]

I have used bird cages and they work perfectly, as long as you cup feed. Once you start getting more than one or two chameleons, it gets too time consuming to use cups to feed, at least for me it did, so I switched back to screen. Another problem is that when you have plants, they start to grow through the bars, and the water from the mister follows the leaves and gets on your floor.

 

[SaintJimmy]

I have used bird cages and they work perfectly, as long as you cup feed. Once you start getting more than one or two chameleons, it gets too time consuming to use cups to feed, at least for me it did, so I switched back to screen. Another problem is that when you have plants, they start to grow through the bars, and the water from the mister follows the leaves and gets on your floor.

I have a plant trimmer so that won't be an issue. 10$ for a really nice one actually.

How is it time consuming? I have only two chameleons, but hand feeding takes me a very long time. So I just put some supers (one or two) and some dubias into a cup and let crickets free range as a treat they'll find while wandering.

Only takes a couple minutes including dusting.

I like the bird cages because they're cheap, sturdy, come with drainage basically, so it's already set up.

I think recommending bird cages to new members would be great because they will save so much time and money and won't be as put off by how expensive a drainage system can be or a nice looking stand.

 

[Vito the Veiled]

They're used all the time. Heck, I even used one.

 

[SaintJimmy]

They're used all the time. Heck, I even used one.

How did you like it?

 

[shaunaroxanne]

I have a plant trimmer so that won't be an issue. 10$ for a really nice one actually.

How is it time consuming? I have only two chameleons, but hand feeding takes me a very long time. So I just put some supers (one or two) and some dubias into a cup and let crickets free range as a treat they'll find while wandering.

Only takes a couple minutes including dusting.

It is time-consuming to fill cups in 16-20 cages, and to clean those cups as needed, as opposed to throwing the feeders in the enclosure, shutting the door, and walking away. Not to mention that feeders do get out of cups, so there are many more escapees with a bird cage. As I said before, I am in favor of bird cages, it just becomes impractical with more than just a few chameleons.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I used bird cages for the first few years I had chameleons. They work well. I didn't have many problems with bugs escaping (although moths weren't easy).

But I did have trouble with humidity (so I built cages with more solid sides).

 

[szpond]

I have a friend who uses one and the tray at the bottom (there is a grate above it) is perfect for drainage. Problem is the crickets jumping out of the cup always.

 

[TreeTopChameleons]

The difference between the bird cage and the screen cage Saint Jimmy, is that a half inch bar spacing allows basically all the humidity to escape quite easily, whereas a fine mesh cage keeps a much higher percentage of humidity in the cage. With a bird cage you would likely need to put plastic on at least 3 sides of the cage to keep humidity half decent.

 

[SaintJimmy]

I have a plant trimmer so that won't be an issue. 10$ for a really nice one actually.

How is it time consuming? I have only two chameleons, but hand feeding takes me a very long time. So I just put some supers (one or two) and some dubias into a cup and let crickets free range as a treat they'll find while wandering.

Only takes a couple minutes including dusting.

It is time-consuming to fill cups in 16-20 cages, and to clean those cups as needed, as opposed to throwing the feeders in the enclosure, shutting the door, and walking away. Not to mention that feeders do get out of cups, so there are many more escapees with a bird cage. As I said before, I am in favor of bird cages, it just becomes impractical with more than just a few chameleons.

Oh I see what you mean. Cleaning my one/two cups does get annoying, but I see how cleaning 20 cups would be annoying too. Or just bulk them all into one day and put them in the dish washer

I used bird cages for the first few years I had chameleons. They work well. I didn't have many problems with bugs escaping (although moths weren't easy).

But I did have trouble with humidity (so I built cages with more solid sides).

The humidity would be achieved probably by dripping, misting, and having lots of live plants. Also a quick fix to all these humidity "problems" everyone's describing... What about shower curtains? Easily attachable.

I have a friend who uses one and the tray at the bottom (there is a grate above it) is perfect for drainage. Problem is the crickets jumping out of the cup always.

I'm getting rid of crickets completely within a couple months so hopefully that won't be a problem for me any more. Crickets are a pain.

The difference between the bird cage and the screen cage Saint Jimmy, is that a half inch bar spacing allows basically all the humidity to escape quite easily, whereas a fine mesh cage keeps a much higher percentage of humidity in the cage. With a bird cage you would likely need to put plastic on at least 3 sides of the cage to keep humidity half decent.

Just buy a shower curtain of the appropriate color and put it around, tuck it into the drain pan and wallah

 

[TreeTopChameleons]

I agree Saint Jimmy, it is easy to modify the bird cage, but to modify it so it looks nicer than having plastic covering the sides is a little more tricky...i know some people have used plexi glass to cover the sides, gives it a bit more of a finished look than loose plastic.