slanted aviary

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:33 am

What about putting some lattice around the bottom of the aviary behind the plexi ? So it looks like there's a barrier to the birds and the lattice will also hide any poops that are sliding down the plexi.

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Fri May 18, 2007 1:16 pm

Good suggestion Thalia.

I used a panel of lattice for my back wall, that's where I hang the seed hoppers and the majority of the perches. They poop isn't as noticable on the lattice.

C A · Post by **C A** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:52 pm

bluefinch wrote:I used treated lumber to build my dove pen. I haven’t had any problems with it. I wouldn't recommend it for hook bills though considering the fact that they chew on every thing.

Thank you bluefinch. I don't plan on having any hookbills (although I would love some !) So using treated on the base should be ok. It will be totally covered by the pan also, so any birds wouldn't be able to chew on it anyway if I ever get a mischievous bird

Thanks for all the great ideas everyone! I already have most of the wood I will need, so I'm sure it won't be much longer before I begin building. I can't wait! If only the birds knew what was coming!

C A · Post by **C A** » Sat May 26, 2007 12:24 pm

Well, I finally got started on my aviary! It's really just a large flight cage

. I have assembled the frame and installed the hardware cloth. So far so good! I have decided to stain it so I'll have to let it dry out for a while before I put any birds in there

. I should be finishing it sometime this weekend. I went with the slant design and it looks nice. It would probably be more effective on a larger aviary. I didn't want to lose much flight space, so I couldn't angle it much, only a couple of inches. The dimensions are 4' l x 2 1/2' w x 3' h. To save on cost I decided to not go with the plexiglass. I figure eventually I can just hang some on the front with hooks if needed, since the cage is not too big. Thank you all again for all the input!

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 pm

can't wait to see pics!

C A · Post by **C A** » Sun May 27, 2007 5:07 pm

Here are a couple of pictures of my new flight!

I haven't built the base for it yet, but I have some tables strong enough to set it on for now.

No pan yet either. I haven't decided on what to use. I may just use a piece of linoleum that I can remove easily. Not sure yet. Any ideas?

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Sun May 27, 2007 7:17 pm

hi ca
its looking good there..i just use sand on the bottom of mine so it doesnt get blown about and you can just vac it up!

ken

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Sun May 27, 2007 7:26 pm

wow that looks great I love the colour!!

Hoji · Post by **Hoji** » Tue May 29, 2007 9:18 am

Hi,
How about putting the plexi outside the mesh, in other words, run the mesh (or bars, etc.) all the way down to the bottom and place plexi on the outside.

This way the birds will see the mesh and removing the plexi for cleaning will be a breeze.
---Hoji

C A · Post by **C A** » Tue May 29, 2007 10:07 am

Thanks Hoji, I had planned on doing that eventually

. I was going to drill holes on each end of the plexi to slide hooks through so it would just hang there on the outside.
This is definitely a work in progress. I've changed a few things around from my original idea so any and all input is greatly appreciated. I think I have spent as much time just thinking about ways to better the design as I have building it

(maybe more!)
I should be adding my birds today, so I'll get to see how effective the slanted design actually is. Wish me luck!

C A · Post by **C A** » Wed May 30, 2007 1:01 pm

Here are a couple of pictures of my new flight set up. The slanted design has been working pretty well. So far all the waste has collected 4 to 5 inches away from the base at the bottom as I had hoped. I may raise my food/water cups higher also to help catch seed hulls, and also keeping them from fluttering so close to the empty hulls on the floor as much. Other than being a bit bulky(which I'm sure all flights are) I couldn't be happier.

Here are our three happy birds!

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Wed May 30, 2007 1:11 pm

Looks good.

I may raise my food/water cups higher also to help catch seed hulls, and also keeping them from fluttering so close to the empty hulls on the floor as much.

This is why the seed hoppers TammyS. sells are a must have. The hulls are trapped in the catch tray... virtually no mess.

C A · Post by **C A** » Thu May 31, 2007 5:38 pm

Thanks tammieb, I will definitely put that on my list. I was wondering though, do the birds have much trouble with seed hulls covering fresh seed? Mine seem to think they're out if I don't shake the fresh seed to the top!

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:05 pm

No, the hulls are dropped down into a separate container. Check out the link,

http://www.justbirdstuff.com/product.ph ... bestseller