outdoor aviary

[di2008]

hi, ive not posted in a while but do still come on and read what others have posted. i have been to busy enjoying monty who has settled into our home and family wonderfully. He is starting to talk now at 9 months old and says 'hello, wheres dadda?,whats a doggy do ( then woofs) whats pussy cat do (then meowww's and cluck cluck's) bless:P he trying to learn what a chicken does now but he's a little confused :lol:

i was thinking of building an outdoor aviary for monty so he can go out when we are out there ( not to live in)

but was wondering what to use on the sides chicken wire? or a sronger wire grill? will this have to be a specific spacing like the bars on his cage?

 

thanks in advance for any advice and i will try to post some recent pics of monty

[PrettyPax]

Monty sounds like a lucky bird! I'd also like to learn more about the materials that go into constructing an aviary. Have you checked Amazon.com? I've seen some some "how to" books on constructing aviaries and cages.

[Talon]

I know there is special netting to use. I haven't found any that is affordable. I'M STILL LOOKING. B)

[Dave007]

If you intend to make an outdoor aviary and it's gonna stand on the ground or a porch, make sure that the whole thing stands on bricks that are at least 6 to 8 inches high. Ants and other bugs crawl in there and the bottom opening should be big enough so that you can get under and get rid of them. I have one outside and I constantly check for crawlies and I usually find lots of them all the time. Also, try to make the avairy collapsible so that it doesn't suffer from the elements when not used for a long time<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/02/06 19:24

[sugarbeth]

I want to make an outdoor playground eventually too. What you need to look for is "welded wire mesh". It comes in all sorts of configurations and gauges. You want to get one that has a spacing like the bar spacing for a grey's cage. And a decent wire thickness so that the wires don't bend too easily.

 

Ideally, you would want to get stainless steel, but that can be cost-prohibitive for a large aviary. I think that for a playground situation (not a permanent home) you can use the galvanized-after-weld wire as long as your bird has a lot of climbing options other than the zinc-laden wire. People who use this for birds give the wire a scrub down with vinegar to get rid of the excess zinc.

 

I would look for the wire locally, because the shipping costs can often be as much as the wire costs.

[Talon]

I have found this site, sent them an email for pricing, and will let you know what response I get.

 

http://www.ropemesh.com/htm/parrotsmesh.htm

[sugarbeth]

I don't think I would use that size mesh for an african grey. 1.5" squares seems perfect for getting a head stuck. I would go 1" or less.

 

And also, since it's in China, you will have to pay shipping and any customs fees. I would check out local suppliers, either for construction or farming. That's what I plan to do when I get building.<br><br>Post edited by: sugarbeth, at: 2009/02/06 20:08

[danmcq]

Here is a link to a company that specializes in just such welded wire and you select the spacing and length/width you need:

 

http://sierrawireandsteel.com/index_welded_wire.html

[di2008]

thanks alot guys i will check out the links.

the welded wire sounds like what im after.

i thought of having a tray in the bottom with sand(if sand is ok) so then i dont have to keep scrubbing the path free of poop:blink:

i think collapsable sounds good too because i was wondering about the affect of a british (very wet) winter would have on the wooden frame and what i would have to do to make it safe for monty every summer.

[LisaM]

To make it more weather-tolerant, you could make the frame out of PVC pipe. It's relatively inexpensive and very easy to work with. You would probably have to use ties to keep the mesh on though which may not be as pretty to look at.

 

Just another idea I thought I'd toss out. I'm considering doing the same so we can have ours outside with us in the warmer weather.

 

Lisa

[shanlung]

Have fun with your project.

 

Do be very careful about that transfer of birdie between home and outdoor aviary, unless aviary is entered from home.

 

And never ever rely on 'thumb on toes' to keep a CAG safely. Those that do so never ever seen and felt the power of a CAG in spook condition.

 

Remain safe by preparing for the worse and not what you hope for.

[babygirl]

my husband said he wants to make an outdoor aviary for my (our) grays. where can we get our supplies? he really seems into it and i dont want to send him on a bunch of rabbit trails trying to find the right supplies.

 

they will be spending their nights inside, and hopefully on nice days they will be in their aviary.

[Spinner]

I've been researching this for quite some time. I intend to convert my greenhouse into a aviary/flight for my Greys. I've found some excellent resources online:

 

Check Animal Stuff's site for mesh material.

 

Also check Natural Bird for FAQ's and articles on aviary/cage building.

 

A comprehensive site for cage-building materials can be found at KW Cages. They've got kits, pre-built aviaries, mesh materials, doors and everything else you could need for building a solid aviary.

 

I'm ordering material from all three sites (doing my best to help the economy). I'll be putting pictures and an article on my web site as I go through the build.

 

Hope this helps!<br><br>Post edited by: Spinner, at: 2009/08/12 16:15

[she]

Please choose the wire very carefully. Galvanised,welded wire is an open invitation for heavy metal poison.I thing a 14 gauge wire would be about strong enough for a grey.My outdoor aviary is on concrete flags and it is easy to hose down and clean,I do this every time the birds have been out in it. Have a look on my profile page to see a photo of it. It may give you some ideas.My birds love going out when the weather is fine.