FinchFriends.org: Make A Hospital Cage

(Click on photo to enlarge view)	This is the Hospital Cage we made, based on a setup loaned to us by our Vet when our bird had a calcium crisis from laying too many eggs. We bought these parts and built 2 whole setups of these items to be able to prepare a clean cage to transfer the sick bird into each day and have it ready next to the dirty cage when you want to move the bird from the dirty one to the clean hospital cage. It is less stress on the bird than trying to catch him/her additional times for moving. We've had 100% success with this setup since then when any of our birds has been injured or ill. Admittedly, ours is a low-tech solution - but it is well within reach of most any family's budget.
Here are the materials and prices and sources:
The Faunarium container	This is also sometimes sold as a "critter tote " $12.99 also from Petco.
Our approximate cage dimensions are 12"X8"X10" Get the size where the trap door in the lid is just large enough to put your hand and forearm through.
	We used tightly woven 100% cotton bistro towels NOTE: Not the same thing as their BarMop Towels which are made of loosely-woven terry cloth - bird toes can get hung up in!!! from BedBathandBeyond or Gerber or Evenflo cloth diapers on the floor of this container. These bistro towels are almost exactly twice as big as our container, we folded them in half to provide a nice cushion, and rolled the little excess length into a very low roll (fake perch) at one end of the cage. Do not use regular terry cloth because the loops may snag in the bird's toes.
Place the heating pad under the "faunarium" container on low and keep the heat a constant temp. Optionally - you can place a full spectrum light above the top as shown above in our illustration. We keep our hospital setup on a small chrome wire type rack to keep the heating pad from overheating whatever surface the cage is on - a baker's cooling rack would also work for this.
	Sunbeam or Walgreen's brand small heating pad WITHOUT AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF - read the label before you buy!
Another heat application option would be using a heating mat like this 16watt model 10"x11" http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=49
Depending on whether your bird needs rest from perching (due to an injury to foot or leg or wing) we used very low profile dishes for food and water- these small dishes were also purchased at Petco in the reptile section. They are colorsafe, lead free and dishwasher safe and inexpensive.
food	water
We use a reptile-type stick-on thermometer to monitor cage temp. We got this thermometer at Petco - for about $6.99
	Kritterz Reptile Habitat Thermometer Gauge Accurately monitor the temperature in your Hosptial Cage. Features a large, easy to read dial with degree indicators in both F and C, mounts to any smooth surface.
Some folks use a show cage instead, but we found this type easier to keep clean. (Thanks to Marian Cochran for the link to a pic of the type of show cage used for a Hospital Cage). When using a show cage Wrap a heating pad under it/around it on low and to keep the heat a constant temp. Leave the heating pad off the top of the cage - just heat the bottom and sides. You can cover most of the top with another towel or cloth diaper to keep drafts away.

The first night our bird spent at the Vet's office, they had had her overnight in an incubator from FeatherFarm - these cost more than $700.00. Another version - a little less expensive and dishwasher safe by another mfr. Pippin's Roost Avey makes a portable "cooler brooder" series that can be plugged into the lighter in your car.