feeders and water in an aviary

[BillD]

Many of you may know that I'm building an aviary for my finches. Well, It's a long work in progress.

I would like to know how those with aviaries offer food and fresh water in theirs. I haven't quite figured it all out yet.

My structure is over 6 feet tall by 6 feet wide and about 2 feet deep. plexiglass panels on the front and one side.

Would appreciate any insight on how to offer food and water.

[finchmix22]

Bill
I was building one, but stopped because of our winter and spring weather, with the wind, hail, and ice I'm afraid the finches would die. I had an outdoor heater, bird feeders, and a water fountain that had running water and a light for night. I've read here that fountains may create problems in aviaries and so I'm not sure what the solution is other than daily changes of water dishes etc. The other problem in Texas is "Vermin." Other birds, birds of prey, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, neighborhood cats, cyotes, hawks, owls, rats, and fire ants. These have all been problems outdoors and are hard to control and protect finches. In addition, keep in mind our high humidity and heat does not match all types of finches. I forgot that some finches may tolerate heat, but not humidity. So, my babies are in an indoor aviary and other cages for breeding. I have them on rollers and near windows and take them outside when the weather cooperates. They do love being outside, but I've had two birds get sick shortly after their sunbathing outside. The avian vet suspects an airborne virus that they caught from the wild birds in our yard. So, many potential problems with an outdoor aviary in Texas. Good Luck.

[debbie276]

Bill,
I have an indoor and outdoor aviary.
Outside I use a wild bird feeder to keep the seed mix so it's available at all times. One something like this http://www.agway.com/catalog/bird/feede ... _tray.html only I don't hang it, I have it sitting on my feed shelf. I also have little cups of my oyster shell mix and egg shells. Everyday I give them a dish with sprouted seed and hard boiled eggs which is replaced every morning. For water I use a poultry waterer like this http://www.agway.com/catalog/rural/poul ... _1gal.html and I also give them a large dish of water for bathing. The dish I use for water is the bottom dish of a large flower pot.
The inside aviary I just use a dish for water and a dish for their seed and other foods.

[Sally]

I believe this is an indoor aviary. I had one indoor aviary, the seed hoppers worked well for me. I had a small fountain, and that is where the birds drank and bathed--they ignored the waterer I placed inside.

[dfcauley]

I no longer use a fountain, but this is how I water my birds and it is working out great. I change the water twice daily. Once in the morning and again mid afternoon.
My birds drink and bathe from the same dish....
I bought several of those little yellow dishes at Wal-Mart for a dollar each. They are great and about 15 birds can bathe at the same time.

[Ursula]

I offer seed in hanging wildbird feeders (hanging on chains from the ceiling), with mounted wider trays underneath the feeders so the spilled seed doesn't all fall on the floor wasted. I also have seed hoppers on the wall. Fresh veggies, eggfood and sprouted seeds are offered in a shallow dish on the table and one on the floor (for the button quail), which I put in in the morning and take out at night. I also put treats in cups on the table. I always make sure that the table is positioned that there are no perches above it, so the food stays clean. I use plastic clips to put lettuce leaves and millet spray onto the branches.

I have several shallow water bowls on the floor and on a chair, and I change the water daily. These get used mostly as bathing dishes. I also offer tube feeders with water on the walls, they use those mostly for drinking, and I change those daily as well. I have a fountain in the aviary which they hardly use for drinking, it's more for decoration. I change the fountain water only weekly, but I put sparkle in it so it stays fresh.

I think that offering drinking tubes on the walls higher up is a good way to keep them from drinking too much of their own bath water.

I also think that it's crucial to place food and water where there are NO perches overhead, so it stays clean.

The picture shows one of the hanging feeders, with the seed hoppers and the pink water tubes in the background: https://picasaweb.google.com/udmoran/My ... 5545736482

This picture shows the table with the trays and treat cups: https://picasaweb.google.com/udmoran/My ... 5377278898

This one is a recent overview picture, which shows bowls on the floor and the table, hanging feeders and feeders/waterers on the wall, and the fountain: https://picasaweb.google.com/udmoran/My ... 8671004610

[poohbear]

Nothing to add...but how ya doin' Bill? Hows the pterodactyls?...

[finchmix22]

I offer seed in hanging wildbird feeders (hanging on chains from the ceiling), with mounted wider trays underneath the feeders so the spilled seed doesn't all fall on the floor wasted. I also have seed hoppers on the wall. Fresh veggies, eggfood and sprouted seeds are offered in a shallow dish on the table and one on the floor (for the button quail), which I put in in the morning and take out at night. I also put treats in cups on the table. I always make sure that the table is positioned that there are no perches above it, so the food stays clean. I use plastic clips to put lettuce leaves and millet spray onto the branches.

I have several shallow water bowls on the floor and on a chair, and I change the water daily. These get used mostly as bathing dishes. I also offer tube feeders with water on the walls, they use those mostly for drinking, and I change those daily as well. I have a fountain in the aviary which they hardly use for drinking, it's more for decoration. I change the fountain water only weekly, but I put sparkle in it so it stays fresh.

I think that offering drinking tubes on the walls higher up is a good way to keep them from drinking too much of their own bath water.

I also think that it's crucial to place food and water where there are NO perches overhead, so it stays clean.

The picture shows one of the hanging feeders, with the seed hoppers and the pink water tubes in the background: https://picasaweb.google.com/udmoran/My ... 5545736482

This picture shows the table with the trays and treat cups: https://picasaweb.google.com/udmoran/My ... 5377278898

This one is a recent overview picture, which shows bowls on the floor and the table, hanging feeders and feeders/waterers on the wall, and the fountain: https://picasaweb.google.com/udmoran/My ... 8671004610

You have a wonderful setup! I love the natural light from those great windows. So cool.

[Ursula]

Thanks, Deborah!

[BillD]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I used to have a hanging feeder in the flight cage, but they never touched it. Maybe the wrong kind as it didn't have a 'dish' on the bottom. I'll keep looking around for one.
I hang sprigs of millet from the top of the cage with binder clips and know how I can recreate that. I have those bird baths that hang outside the small doors and putting a central pedestal birdbath, not underneath any perches, would satisfy that.
My main concern is drinking water. Currently have cylindrical waterers with a small bowl and perch that hang inside the cage. they can land on the perch and drink, but cannot take a bath in them. Would appreciate any suggestions for those.

[BillD]

Nothing to add...but how ya doin' Bill? Hows the pterodactyls?...

[ http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc217/raebhoop/misc%202/0f377d08.gif ]

Heya Paul!! Nice to hear from you.

My last elder Poly (Sputnik) is hanging in there. He's 20 now and has some issues. Guess that's to be expected at his age. Two new polys have joined the family. Huey and CV are about 1.5 years old now, both snowflake white. Huey is huge for a cat (bigger than all the others) and has jointed thumbs. We play fetch nightly and he's quite a character.
CV is a demure little girl that loves to cuddle, until her brother Huey decides he wants in on the action. They aren't related and CV is about 2 weeks older than Huey. CV has thumbs too, but not like Huey's.
They are so much fun to have around the house.

[BillD]

I am really interested in how everyone with aviaries provide fresh water. Mine is in progress and indoors. I've seen all your 'bird bath' ideas, but I want something they can just drink from and not take a bath or poop in.

[lovemyfinch]

Bill, I actually just have one of those regular tube waterers, the same type I use in the cages only the jumbo size. I just sit in on the floor next to the door.

[kenny]

hi
used the davy lamp design for water and seed,the seed one i bought a large plastic plant pot tray and drilled 2 small hole in it and tied the tray onto the bottom to catch husk and discarded seed....i have a picture of them here the plastic one i used water and seed in and the birds could not poop in any of the water because thier backsides always faced the outside


ken

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[BillD]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to the Bird Mart this weekend and I will look around and ask questions on how others provide fresh drinking water (not bathing water) in their aviaries.