SRSeedBurners

Definitely find some place level to start with. I spent at least three days hauling and shoveling 4 truck loads of Texas black clay by hand and leveling the pad site. Unless you have access to heavy equipment which I don't. I bought the wire from a local farm store in the area. I can ask him where he sourced it from, I'm sure he'll give me the info.

As with all projects this one was under-budgeted, under-staffed and is currently over-schedule. I'm not kidding either! This thing was supposed to take a weekend...or two. The Cockatoo rescue that uses these same structures makes it sound so easy. I'm 100% sure I could do the next one in about half the time as I know what I'm doing now. I wish I would have kept track of the time I've spent and the costs. I'm thinking we are approaching $1000 on the materials cost. The Cockatoo Rescue that published the webpage which I'm following makes it sound pretty simple to set these up. But to their credit, they have a team of people, they buried the structure legs so as to use only one roll of wire, and the gates they built are simple PVC. I screwed myself by wanting this thing as tall as possible and mounting on concrete deck blocks buried just below ground. Plus I built a safety cage that could easily work as it's own outdoor aviary and two fancy wood gates. Now were laying some pretty white'ish rock that my wife found at a materials place around the outside on top of the dig wire. I have the feeling this project will never end. My wife wants to really purty it up and that means a lot of work for me

Poor Sunny. I'm glad he's found a new buddy. Somebirdys do need buddies.

My guess is a horizontal hood is better placed above the bird. That's what you typically see people doing.

That would have scared the hell out of me too. We get an abnormal poop around here and we're on pins and needles all day until things 'normalize'.

She has her human trained nicely!

That's a cute little sweater Kilaya is wearing. Is it cool/cold where you live? I might find one for our birds as I plan to have them in the aviary when it cools off around here and that might help extend their outside time. Maybe a hair-brained idea but I'm going with it.

Wow - poor thing. I'm glad he's found a happy home at the sanctuary. I recall seeing a cockatoo in a store we went to once. He immediately hopped on my wife and started telling her he loved her. I watched her melt right in front of my eyes. That's their downfall, they have that immediate attractive quality about them and then you get them home and have to deal with the parrot in them.

Haaa - cool thread, I can definitely weigh in: ---------------------- Dear GreycieMae - We love you to bits. You realize I busted my butt for close to over 100 hours now building you an aviary because I worried about you being stuck in a bird room, much less a cage like a lot of other Greys have to deal with. So cut me some slack and please address the following issues: - You really screwed the pooch when you decided Toby was your mortal enemy. You can share Daddy with him, he won't become top birdy just because he gets a little wrestle time with Daddy. Caiques have forever memories when it comes to friend or foe. You put yourself in the latter camp and now you must deal with it. The only place you have him beat is in the air - and that's just barely. He is 1000 times quicker than you and is a Caiquey Jiu Jitsu Master Blackbelt on the ropes/perches/cages - basically anywhere he can get keep his feet grounded. Stop trying to attack him, he has you beat and will win 101 times out of 100. Please try and make nice-nice with him, he may forgive and forget but I doubt it. - Speaking of the aviary, it is not 100% yours. Yes I did build it primarily with you in mind, but I made it big enough for your two siblings. Please stop trying to kick them out, they cannot get out - this is by design. - When we serve a meal, and set a place for you and it contains the exact same thing as what is on our plates, please use your manners and stay on your own food. - Stop pulling feathers out of Rio's forehead. He's a very gentle soul and never provokes you, like Toby will sometimes do (your own fault of course). All he wants to do is sit in his space and chew on his toys and play with his things. Stop bullying him. See point #1 about how you screwed the pooch with Toby. Rio is more forgiving however he has a hydraulic beak that rivals anyone else's beak in the house. He can clamp down with the power of a vice and won't let go until your appendage is bloody and possibly detached. Be warned when screwing with Rio and don't make me say I told you so. - The ceiling fans are not your personal merry-go-round. We bought specialty ceiling fans that move slowly so as not to injure our flying babies. This does not mean you are now allowed to land on the blades and try to hold on for a few rounds all the while taking gouges out of the nice wood. This has to stop. - And lastly your annoying screech you've learned from Toby. I hate it. Please stop. - Oh, one more thing - Night Night time. You get the privilege of staying up an extra hour after the two littles go to bed. We've noticed you really enjoy this as it becomes GreycieMae special time and you give Daddy lots of attention and love. But when it's time for you to go to bed, stop making me chase you all over the house. Also, when I do finally get you to step-up and we are in the bird room, stop crawling inside my shirt and doing your death grip so it takes me 5 minutes to get you peeled off of me so I can put you to bed. It's the same thing every night - hugs - kisses - sweet nuffins and I'll see you in the morning like clockwork. We don't need all the extras. Mmmmkkkthnkkss - Mommy and Daddy

The neighbor that can see the aviary commented that she loves it. She can hear GreycieMae doing her vibrato and her happy noises along with a few screeches and squawks. She a former parront. Not sure what happened to her bird. Some pics and a video from this weekend. I had the camera and camcorder ready in case I could get a good pic. Can you believe, the aviary is still_not_done_.... Toby and GreycieMae in the background. Rio is in the basket - you just can't see him. Look carefully and you'll see Rio... Not to hard to see him when I cheat and take a picture over the edge! They love the basket and the SS bowls with toys in them GreycieMae with hers... Toby and Rio have become little play buddies, although I have to watch Toby as he'll lose his head once in a while. GreycieMae preening right before she gets down and helps Daddy with the safety cage... And a ~3m video... [video=youtube_share;tg3YlPR_LdY]

Hopefully she won't rule like my GreycieMae - with a heavy talon and a sharp beak

Well, GreycieMae and her two siblings stayed in the aviary till around 3:30pm. She was a happy bird the whole time. One reaction from her I didn't expect - she got really standoff-ish with me inside the aviary after being in there for a few hours. I think she was getting possessive of the aviary. She sort of reminded me of a wild Grey The way she would move around obstacles to keep me from getting her. Rio finally warmed up to the idea and was happily sitting on the boing practicing his words. I can't believe my talker in the family is a Jardines. Although Greycie went through all of her words too and probably said "I love you" around 500 times. Something else I noticed the other night when I had them out there for just a couple hours, the aviary wears them out. They are really active out there but more than that I think it's the fact that they are on a higher level of alert with the great big blue surrounding them. They seem to really go after the food too when I fed them a few times rather than their typical household routine of just throwing crap everywhere and eating next-to-nothing. Didn't get much done...more work tomorrow. My exterior gate is on hold trying to find some hinges that will accomodate the 2x3s I bought to make it. This project is just like the projects I do at work: I think I can do a certain task in 6 hours, it will take 12 - at least. Safety cage concrete pylons buried, all railings in place. Cage door remains which I figured I would have completed and installed along with the safety cage wire. You can see all three of my little helpers in the upper right of the photo. Also notice how the winter rye is springing out of the ground. I need to hit the bare patches again in there where I had to bury the original seed and killed it.

Took today off to try and finish the safety cage and the ground dig wire. It's safe enough to put the babies in while I work, so I'll have lots of GreycieMae supervision. She helped me last time with the J-clips all along the back side. What a helper. This morning was their first sunrise in the aviary. GreycieMae loved it. She started playing and doing her happy sounds. Makes all the work worth it... Baby Rio is not a fan of the outside. He was born to be a mama's birdy and just wants to be inside with mother.

I have a non-talker but she does make the fart sound A LOT! We like to mock scold her a lot (she knows we're playing) and she will FART while we're talking. Funny girl.

It's all about the warm-n-fluffly. GreycieMae seems to like it so I keep doing it. My Caiquey likes it too. Jardines, not so much.

I'm not sure I was that much of an impression on my ex. I was just less of an asshole than the 3-4 she came across after me, including the one she married. Part of the problem was I was in the Marines, making barely above poverty level pay. She ditched me prior to my exit from Uncle Sams illegitimate service and entrance into college and a MUCH better paying civilian job. Her loss. I just want my Grey back.

Well, if it's any help (and I know it isn't haahaa), my ex-wife found out the hard way that the grass isn't greener over there. My daughter told me once her mother wished she wouldn't have (given me the boot). I lost three birds to that divorce one being a Grey that is now around 26 years old and lives with my aunt. To this day I could care less about the ex but I still care deeply for my Grey. Hopefully one day I'll get her back. There's a post here somewhere about the day I went to see her 20 years later and she still knew me.

Shoot, the link I checked last night said they were safe. I went back and re-checked and it was talking about the petals - they are actually edible. Damn, that tree has the exact structure I'm looking for. Know of anything else that looks similar? Notice how the branches are somewhat horizontal? That tree, with the bushy leaves at the top is a veritable GreycieMae playground right there. I really want something like that. The Crepe Myrtles branches are predominantly vertical and I'll use them if I have to but I'm really looking for something like the Plumerias.

You're right, they are a Plumeria. They have blooms which the Hawaiians used to make the Leis. Looks like there are a couple of cultivars that are able to withstand upper 30s. May have to keep them potted and move them into the garage during the hard cold snaps. Hrrmmmmm. They have the exact branch structure I'm looking for.

On the ride home tonight I spotted what looks to me like the perfect aviary tree. Anyone know what these are and if they are safe?

I've tried setting another plate. That's never good enough. For instance last night, wife made some very healthy stew/soup/whatever you want to call it. Totally bird safe and healthy. Everybirdy gets their own bowl including wife and I. GreycieMae decides my bowl is best shared, with her. I was literally doing like in the cartoon, which is why I found it so funny this morning. I don't mind sharing,except I get in big trouble when my share-buddy drops ever-damn-thing she eats on the wood floors. Then we both get run out... I've even tried yelling at the wife, that shit never works.

Wow, 9 years. I bet it went quick too. Hope Talon got to be a Diva for a day. Can't wait for the video, love seeing them.

Such a weird coincidence - I was just going through the thread Grey-Owner-What-do-you-look-like for the first time since I've been on this forum. I specifically remember Ceaser'sDad maybe because he's the thread starter. One of the thoughts that ran through my mind was where are all these people now because nearly no one from that thread is here anymore. I wondered if it's because some have lost their Greys for whatever reason and just never came back (probably what I'd do). I hate to hear that Ceaser has gone. I always hope they have just found another good home. Way too many people are losing their flighted Greys - it happened to us and thankfully we got her back. There are a couple others here who have lost theirs (and found them) in the time I've been here. It really sucks about Ceaser. One other thing - when I first got here there was a lot of turmoil due to a certain 'well respected' member that is now banned. I do recall a bunch of members taking a c-ya-later because of him. Ever since he was removed this place has been pretty cool, calm and collected.

Seems I was doing this just this morning...and last night....and....

I'll probably end up trimming them to keep them small enough to keep them inside the aviary wire. When's the best time to transplant them? We're both sold on the fact that they'll be safe for the birds. Add a butterfly bush or bottle brush and we'll be set for inside the aviary. This last weekend I moved some of their things in the aviary since I wanted them out with me while I worked on it: boings, orbits, climbing rope. Can't believe how big the aviary is. The climbing rope, when in their bird room, goes all the way across the room. In the aviary, it will barely reach across and doesn't if you angle it at all.