Cleaning indoor aviaries

[managermania]

For those of you that have large, indoor aviaries, how do you go about cleaning it? Mostly I am thinking about the floors. Do you take the birds out, etc? I am working on a new and improved indoor aviary. It will be 6 ft Wide/3 ft Deep/7 ft tall. I am trying to get some information so I can better design it for cleaning. The smaller ones that I have now are difficult to clean. Thx for the help and advice.

[annague]

The best thing I have found so far is Sweet Timothy Hay and Orchard grass. (Can buy bales). I put it on the floor of my aviary cage about 6 inches deep and remove and replace bits that are soiled during breeding season. I also add fresh on top weekly so the birds can forage for the little seeds -- they really like eating them. At the end of the Season I will replace all the hay and do a thorough cleaning.

[Ursula]

I do pretty much the same as Anna, just that my aviary has aspen shavings on the floor.

I take out some of the shavings in especially dirty places every few weeks and put new shavings on top. About 1-2 times a year I do a major cleaning job by removing most/all of the shavings.

I take out the fake plants and soak them in the bathtub in hot water with cheap vinegar about once a month. (I rinse them afterwards outside with the garden hose.)

Every weekend I do some wiping down of windows, table and chairs and the parrotlet cage (which is within the aviary) with hot water + vinegar.

We replace the branches/perches about 3-4 times a year. (That's usually my husband's job. ).

We never take the birds out. Catching them is much too stressful. We try to never do work both of us at the same time, so when you clean on one side the birds can stay on the other side and don't feel chased around. They will get used to you, especially if you go in there every day, and as long as you don't make sudden movements and just gently talk to them they won't be scared. My gouldians and quail are the nosiest and actually come over when I go in, and check out what I'm doing.

Funny thing that I noticed: They like it best when I have muted color clothes. Once I got bright red pyjamas for christmas and had them on when I went into the aviary, and the birds freaked out as if a giant cat had just entered! It took me a second to realize that it was the bright red color that freaked them.

[kylegood]

i do the same with aspen shavings. spot change daily/bi daily. full change weekly/ bi weekly. or as needed depending on the mess.

[lou]

I use 1/4" size sand bout 1-1/2 deep and clean under the branches where most of the dropping are. I don't remove the birds.
Lou

[poohbear]

I take out some of the shavings in especially dirty places every few
Every weekend I do some wiping down of windows, table and chairs
Funny thing that I noticed: They like it best when I have muted color clothes. Once I got bright red pyjamas for christmas and had them on when I went into the aviary, and the birds freaked out as if a giant cat had just entered! It took me a second to realize that it was the bright red color that freaked them.

That is so WEIRD!!!
Believe it or not I was going to post today about when I was a kid and hand reared a Wood Pigeon.
One day I entered the greenhouse where I kept him and he went absolutely berserk.
It took me a while to realise it was the new red sweater my Mum had knitted for me.
I was going to ask if anybody had noticed any reaction from their birds if they wore red...

That is a helluva coincidence....

[Ursula]

I take out some of the shavings in especially dirty places every few
Every weekend I do some wiping down of windows, table and chairs
Funny thing that I noticed: They like it best when I have muted color clothes. Once I got bright red pyjamas for christmas and had them on when I went into the aviary, and the birds freaked out as if a giant cat had just entered! It took me a second to realize that it was the bright red color that freaked them.

That is so WEIRD!!!
Believe it or not I was going to post today about when I was a kid and hand reared a Wood Pigeon.
One day I entered the greenhouse where I kept him and he went absolutely berserk.
It took me a while to realise it was the new red sweater my Mum had knitted for me.
I was going to ask if anybody had noticed any reaction from their birds if they wore red...

That is a helluva coincidence....

That's funny!!
There must be something about red that disturbs them.
I actually had a similar reaction to a black long gown that I have, it's just something that I wear around the house in summer. I can understand that though, it's too flappy and I probably look like a big black crow to them in that. I know not to wear that anymore either.

[annague]

My birds definitely freak when I wear red. They watch me more and are more jumpy.

[franny]

My birds freak out when my sister wears her yellow nightie anywhere near the cage. And we know it's the colour, not just the sight of her in a nightie...because the site of me (and we're twins) in my short black pj's doesn't bother them, yet that's a really scary sight!

[dfcauley]

Same here.... Red is our school color and I wear lots of school spirit shirts that are red. I always change clothes before entering the aviary if I have one one.

I use towels below the perches and turn them one day and wash them the next. I don't care for shavings etc.....
I have one floor that is cement and the other one is tile. They get mopped once a week.
I know Misty uses the shaving and it always smells so good in her aviary. But I have a fear of something growing under there.

[Ursula]

Agreed Donna, the shavings are perfect for hiding "nice" crawlies like mealworms and ants...

I have shavings for the benefit of my button quail. I wouldn't want to expose them to a hard floor. If I had no quail I'd probably also prefer a floor that I can wash down. I think the towel idea is great.

[Intyme]

I used linoleum on the bottom of my aviary, its not quite as big as yours. I also have aspen shavings about 3 inches deep. I also built a 8 inch drop down door where I can reach in and clean the shavings out without to much disturbance