The basic requirements for a suitable aviary for your pet birds
The basic requirements for a suitable aviary for your pet birds
Aviaries come in all shapes and sizes, shop around for the best deal; some are for indoor use and some are for outdoor use but all have basically the same qualities, with few exceptions. An outdoor aviary will need some kind of shelter for your birds to roost at night and help protect themselves from extremes in the weather, and it will also need to be rodent proof.
The type of aviary you go for will depend on the space you have, the visual impact of the aviary, the birds you want to keep, and of course the cost, however another reasonably priced alternative is to build your own.
Either way make sure your aviary is sited correctly.
An indoor aviary (or flight) should be located away from sources of heating (such as radiators) and out of constant direct sunlight for the same reason, you do not want your birds to become over heated leading to exhaustion. Also if using non-stick kitchenware keep your aviary away from the kitchen, the fumes given off by non-stick cookware whilst in use are very toxic to your birds, and can cause serious health issues or even death in some cases. Try and site your indoor aviary preferably off the floor away from other household pets.
An outdoor aviary on the other hand is usually a preferable choice for most people. It should if possible be set on a solid concrete or slab (flag stone) base, this will prevent rats from burrowing into your pet birds accommodation and stealing their food, their eggs, and sometimes young chicks. Solid foundations and a few rows of brick or concrete block work will stop rats from chewing through wood in contact with the ground in order to get in, if this is not possible then I recommend fastening aviary mesh on the outside of any ground contact wood as this will go a long way to prevent them from chewing through.
All exposed areas should be covered with a suitable sized aviary mesh to of course stop your pet birds from escaping, even the smallest hole will undoubtedly be found by your inquisitive birds.
A mainly wooden and mesh aviary should be constructed with natural new bird safe wood and welded mesh. If you decide to paint the woodwork of your aviary be sure to use a good quality exterior animal safe (pet safe) wood preservative, there are many quality propriety brands available.
Some sort of security entrance is a must, an area you can get into and shut yourself in that's separate from the bird area. This is so you can get into the aviary without allowing your birds to escape as you enter. Basically a human area and a bird area, separated by a door of some type (mesh is fine). Go into the human area and close and fasten the door behind you then you can open the bird area to go in and do whatever is required without your pet birds escaping to the outside, because I assure you they will if given the opportunity. If any of your birds do escape however the chances are they will return; with the possible exception of juveniles your birds are not stupid and know instinctively where home is, and food and shelter etc. Look out for them returning, catch them and then return them into the aviary. If that fails then it is wise to report them missing to the relevant authority.
An assortment of perches are a must for your outdoor flight. Natural wood branches of varying thickness and angles are best, allowing your pet birds to perch and climb, and keeping as close to natural as possible.
Your outdoor aviary should also have a shelter for your birds to roost at night (often called a night shelter) and to allow them to escape the weather (equip it with varying perches for roosting). Put your feeding and water containers in this shelter so your birds will learn where to go to be fed, this will also help if you want to close them in there at night - it can be rather annoying trying to catch your birds in the evening to get them in, or to chase them in - if their food and water is there they will go in of their own accord.
Also a type of bird bath in your aviary containing fresh water is also an advantage, this can either be outside in the flight or inside in the shelter (I have mine on the outside) as almost all birds like an occasional bath.
You can if you choose have a solid rather than mesh top on your aviary - or part of it - to give your birds some extra shelter; however this is not absolutely necessary as long as you have a night shelter; in fact most birds actually enjoy an occasional rain shower.
No artificial heating is required as most birds are very hardy, but be sure your night shelter is free from draughts as this can cause problems, especially during the winter.
Finches will need some kind of artificial lighting on longer nights; because they are smaller and very active birds they will eat more often, but only if it's light, try not to allow them to go longer than 8 hours without light as they will need to build up their fat reserves to see them through the cold nights, a simple battery or mains powered light will suffice as long as they can't actually make contact with the hot bulb and burn themselves (switch it off about 7 hours before dawn or fit a timer to do it automatically).
Check your aviary thoroughly each day for any signs of weakness or wear and tear, and rectify any problems before they become a serious issue.
For more detailed information about bird keeping or to reserve your copy of my new ebook coming soon then please email me and be sure to read my other articles.
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