New Flight/Aviary - Completed!!

[nixity]

I guess the 3/4" netting works for Gouldians, but is that what you have on your Cordon Bleu flights, too?

The CB's are in 1/2" x 1" galvanized cages right now.
Though I will say I released one of the pairs into the aviary last night as an experiment, and the mesh is too small for them to squeeze through as well, plus they didn't try.
I decided not to leave them in there though because I was afraid once they became accustomed to it I'd never be able to catch them again

[MLaRue]

I use towels too but I have to say it is so nasty putting them into our washers! I have to wash them twice to make sure they and my washer is clean. I have a love hate issue with it!

I looked at that wire/plastic screen at Home Depot and there is no way a Swee or Goldbreast will be contained in that. I bet even Cubans and others like them would not stay in the flights.

[dfcauley]

I use towels too but I have to say it is so nasty putting them into our washers! I have to wash them twice to make sure they and my washer is clean. .

I agree. I always use bleach ( the towels are white) and wash twice. It is worth it to me...

[nixity]

Are you guys (pardon my french) beating the crap out of them first before you wash them?

I nearly throw my neck out every saturday banging the towels along the fence in the back yard to get the poop off.
By the time I'm done there is little to no solid dropping left on them, just the poop color "stain" if you will.

So with one wash on the hot & heavy cycle (lol, that sounds funny ) they come out completely clean without needing a second wash. There is never even any residue in the washer afterwards.
I wouldn't say I have an expensive/fancy washing machine, either, it's somewhat dated.. at least 6 years old if not more.
I guess it's more the elbow grease before hand of getting the towels as clean/rid of poo before they go in the washing machine, but I'm so confident with how clean they are I've thrown in the door mats/rugs with them too and everything still comes clean with nothing left over..

Also, since I move along the fence as I do it, and I do it once a week, the poop biodegrades fast, especially if it rains, so it's not like I have bird crap outlining my back yard ;)

[MLaRue]

I do shake the *&^*% out of them but I will only do it for so long. I have the fancy washer machine and still feel like I need to bleach the *&^&% out of them and wash them twice. My children just figured out what I was doing and they were like are you NUTS! That is sooooo disgusting. I had to shut them up - if their father realized what I was doing he would freak too. Just the thoughts of it I guess. I even use the sanitize cycle each time too.

Remember seeing the washer at someone's house that does this too?! I guess that is all I think about each time....

[nixity]

Remember seeing the washer at someone's house that does this too?! I guess that is all I think about each time....

# #
OMG please don't remind me.

For me shaking them isn't enough, I have to (as forcefully as I can) literally whack them into something solid, like a side walk, wall, the fence, etc ;P
In NJ it was the brick side of our ghetto apartment.. here it's along our privacy fence where I can really slam them into it.

The issue I have when you shake them, the poo flies and flings off in all directions...
I've had it fly back and hit me in the eye, land in my hair, go down my shirt... you name it.. so I only shake first to get all the seed and hulls off, for the poop, I bang!

[dfcauley]

Remember seeing the washer at someone's house that does this too?! I guess that is all I think about each time....

# #
OMG please don't remind me.

.

The issue I have when you shake them, the poo flies and flings off in all directions...
I've had it fly back and hit me in the eye, land in my hair, go down my shirt... you name it.. so I only shake first to get all the seed and hulls off, for the poop, I bang!

Too funny!!! I hold mine over the deck and beat them on the rails.
My washer always looks clean afterwards...... it doesn't concern me that much. I don't know what you are talking about "the washer" and I don't want to know.

[MLaRue]

Remember seeing the washer at someone's house that does this too?! I guess that is all I think about each time....

# #
OMG please don't remind me.

.

The issue I have when you shake them, the poo flies and flings off in all directions...
I've had it fly back and hit me in the eye, land in my hair, go down my shirt... you name it.. so I only shake first to get all the seed and hulls off, for the poop, I bang!

Too funny!!! I hold mine over the deck and beat them on the rails.
My washer always looks clean afterwards...... it doesn't concern me that much. I don't know what you are talking about "the washer" and I don't want to know.

Inside joke - sorry

[Domenic]

I don't think I would want to wash the poopy towels in the washer either. My aviary has a white cement floor, so I just vacuum it up and occasionally scrub it with soap and water. Done. Most of the poop lands on the perches anyway.

[PearBlossom]

Remember seeing the washer at someone's house that does this too?! I guess that is all I think about each time....

# #
OMG please don't remind me.

For me shaking them isn't enough, I have to (as forcefully as I can) literally whack them into something solid, like a side walk, wall, the fence, etc ;P
In NJ it was the brick side of our ghetto apartment.. here it's along our privacy fence where I can really slam them into it.

The issue I have when you shake them, the poo flies and flings off in all directions...
I've had it fly back and hit me in the eye, land in my hair, go down my shirt... you name it.. so I only shake first to get all the seed and hulls off, for the poop, I bang!

HAHAHAHA! Dont ya love it! I had it fly into my mouth once! Disgusting! Hard lesson learned..keep mouth shut! Awesome flight cage Tiffany! Its huge!!

[cindy]

Tiffany, I love that flight cage. You did a terrific job. Lucky finches!!!

On the towel thing, could you take an plastic trash can and fill it with water and a little soap and bleach, soak the towels. Then hang them up, spray them with the hose to get the poo off (the soap and bleach should loosen the poo) then toss them in the washer to give them a good washing. I do this with sheeting and towels I use on the cages. Beats flying poop everywhere. (I realize this is hard to do in snow and the cold but in the warmer months it may help keep the little finch nuggets from becoming hair ornaments!)

[CandoAviary]

Finch Nugget Hair Ornaments....interesting

I just use care fresh natural..... then just throw it out or compost
I used terry towels a long time ago and lost a european goldfinch that got his toe tangled in the loops of the material. It could not get to the water tube and died. I have been afraid to use them since.

I did use an all weather picnic tablecloth. They are very easy to hose off. I just cut them to fit the size of the flights. You can also find them in attractive ivy of flower patterns

[cindy]

How about plastic runners or gym mats that are vinyl???? Lowes had vinyl mats that were thin like a place a vinyl place mat, easy to roll and wash off. They were 5x8 and could be cut to size, they were used on children play areas. I used to keep one under cages and it was easily washed down and let out in the sun to dry.