How to Build a Falcon Cage

A falcon cage should provide several amenities, including protection, healthy air exchange and a perch. Falcons must be protected from possible predators such as dogs, eagles and coyotes. They need fresh air, even in cold weather. Perches help falcons to feel secure and to look out at their surroundings. A falcon cage can be as small as 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet for a smaller falcon such as a kestrel, but for larger birds such as the red-tailed hawk, a cage should measure about 8 feet by 10 feet by 8 feet.

Things You'll Need

  • Post hole digger
  • 4-inch-by-4-inch posts
  • 2-inch-by-6-inch lumber
  • Saw
  • Cordless drill
  • Screws
  • Wire cutters
  • Chain link fencing
  • Staple gun
  • U-shaped fasteners
  • Corrugated metal or plastic
  • Chain link slats
  • Latch
  • 2 terracotta pots
  • Construction adhesive
  • Bedding
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Instructions

    • 1

      Dig four 12-inch holes with a post hole digger where you want the corners of your cage to be, and insert 4-inch-by-4-inch posts into the holes. Secure the posts by filling in any extra space around the posts with dirt.

    • 2

      Cut 2-inch-by-6-inch lumber long enough to reach from one corner post to another. Lay the lumber on their 2-inch sides along the four sides of the posts to form a square that is flush with the ground. Secure the lumber by screwing them into the posts with 3-inch screws and a power drill.

    • 3

      Cut four more pieces of 2-inch-by-6-inch lumber the same size as the first four. Attach the lumber to the posts in the same manner as in Step 2, but attach this set at the top of the posts. This step works best if you have a friend or assistant to hold the lumber up while you screw the boards to the posts.

    • 4

      Lay a piece of corrugated metal or plastic across the top of the cage to form a roof. Drill holes in the corners of the metal or plastic that correspond with the four vertical posts. Attach the roof to the posts by sinking screws through the drilled holes and into the posts. You will need a ladder for this step. Ask a friend to hold the ladder steady while you use the drill.

    • 5

      Measure the height of your falcon cage and the width of each of the four sides. Use wire cutters to cut chain link fencing for each of the four sides. Lay the chain link fencing across each side, and secure it to the posts and 2-inch-by-6-inch lumber using a heavy-duty staple gun or U-shaped fasteners. Leave one side of one wall unfastened so you can pull it open and use it as a door. Install a latch on this open side to secure the wall when you want the cage closed.

    • 6

      Insert chain link fencing slats along at least two sides of the falcon cage. Falcons enjoy some privacy, and the slats will provide the falcon with shade on sunny days.

    • 7

      Build several perches to install in the cage. You can make a simple perch out of two terracotta pots. Glue the bottoms of the pots together with construction adhesive. Stand the pots up, and fill the upper pot with pea gravel or packed-down soil. You can also pull driftwood or old tires into the cage for a variety of perches that keep the falcon's feet in shape.

    • 8

      Shovel bedding into the cage, and spread it across the floor. Appropriate bedding for falcons includes pea gravel, rubber mats, artificial grass turf, sand, wood shavings and straw.