FINCHforum

Has anyone used the screen doors used in the panel-form aviary for an outdoor aviary? I'm thinking that since it is a screen door, it is planned to be used outdoors anyway. With proper stain or paint and sealant, it should be weather-resistant. I was thinking of putting a small aviary just outside my bedroom windows, partially under the roof overhang. It wouldn't be used in winter, so I would like something easy to dismantle and store away. It would also have to have a floor panel, preferably wire, to keep out predators.

I don't know if it would be cost-effective, since I would need four sides, a roof, and a floor or bottom--maybe it would be just as easy to build my own panels with 2x2s, and then hinge them together for easy disassembly. The screen doors look so nice inside all finished off, but don't know if I need that finished look for outside. What do you all think?

Using screen doors will save you a lot of work, especially if you can find screen doors that are made from treated wood (or if you treat the wood yourself) so that they can withstand the elements. The screen will keep out many of the bugs (like mosquitos) which can transmit disease to your birds, but finches cannot safely be housed in an enclosure where they have access to screen (since they tend to get their nails caught in it and injure themselves). In order to modify the screen door cage to work for outside use, you would need to 'line' the inside of the doors with 1/4" x 1/4" (or 1/2" x 1/2") hardware cloth. This would keep the birds from reaching the screen and can also serve as an additional barrier of protection against predators (i.e. if a rat tries to chew through the screen, it will still not be able to enter the enclosure).

Part of your roof would probably need to be solid to sheild from sun and rain, and you are correct in your thoughts to give the enclosure some kind of floor to keep digging predators out.