Bird in the room or bird room?

Jossi · Post by **Jossi** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:20 am

Im thinking of maby convert one of our rooms in to a bird/guinea pig room. As for now we dont have any children and we dont use that particular room. And if we do get children some time in the future we will just have to solve the problem then. I think it would be handy to have all the cages and all the pets i one area, easier to feed them all, no seeds on the floor in the other living spaces, well easier maintenance over all. But still Im a bit reluctant to doing so since I love having them around, where I can see them all the time and talk to them while doing my chores. It sure would be great to be able to invite someone to our house without offering them some slippers (because of all the seeds every where) but Im not sure if I would interact with them as freequently as I do right now...

So I would gladly appreciate your thought on this as well as your own experiences in this matter.

Thanks!

debbie276 · Post by **debbie276** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:32 am

At one point I had all the birds set up in the basement in walk-in flights. While the mess stayed in one area and the clean-up was a breeze I began to wonder why I had them when I only saw they for small bits of time during the day.
I ended up downsizing to a manageable size and built a corner aviary in my solarium so that I could customize it to prevent mess spilling out as best as I could. I never regretted moving them back up-stairs and enjoy hearing and seeing them all day long.
I have my geckos and hedgehog also in the living room with us to enjoy at anytime.
Best of luck and do let us know how you make out.

Jossi · Post by **Jossi** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:09 am

debbie276 wrote:At one point I had all the birds set up in the basement in walk-in flights. While the mess stayed in one area and the clean-up was a breeze I began to wonder why I had them when I only saw they for small bits of time during the day.
I ended up downsizing to a manageable size and built a corner aviary in my solarium so that I could customize it to prevent mess spilling out as best as I could. I never regretted moving them back up-stairs and enjoy hearing and seeing them all day long.
I have my geckos and hedgehog also in the living room with us to enjoy at anytime.
Best of luck and do let us know how you make out.

Thats what Im afraid of... I dont want it to be like... "I have to check on the bird and feed them, wander what they have been up to today"... but still Im a bit annoyed at the time with all the mess... its not that its so hard to tidy up, just that I dont really like to have people over unanounced... since its seeds every where no matter how mutch I vaccum

I my self dont mind wearing my slippers

Since its an appartment the room is in connection to the other rooms, so maby they wont feel so far away... but still, the most precious time of day is my cup of coffe in the morning with all of my male goulds

I could try it out for a couple of weeks and see if it works... but Im not sure...

G8love4finches · Post by **G8love4finches** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:54 am

Check into bin type feeders that do catch some of the mess....I have one called TIDY SEED, that works well and mounts on the outside of the cage.....I have also hung a clear shower curtain around the bottom of the cage and then gathered it up into a bin under the cage....These things will help some....Some people feed in dishes on the bottom of the cage to help....Birds do get messy, but I think they are worth the extra cleaning time with the enjoyment they bring me everyday!...

nelloyello11 · Post by **nelloyello11** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:58 pm

Personally, I can't imagine my living room without my feathered friends, despite the mess. When I eventually have more room, I plan on having a bird room, which will be my comfort zone, to relax, read, watch and talk to my birds. For now though, I really do enjoy their company and chatter while I am doing things around the house. Many people on here have come up with lots of innovative solutions to control the mess. I'm sure you can get lots of suggestions and come up with a solution that works for you.

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 2:11 pm

Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

A separate room is easier and cheaper to heat w/o heating up the entire apartment.
Also if you have an "escapee" it is easier to catch it, if it is restricted to a smaller place.

My wife would love it if the cages were in a separate room, exactly as you mentioned, to keep the feathers and seed hulls from going all over the place.

Jossi · Post by **Jossi** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 2:24 pm

Im not so disturbed by the mess personaly, I love my birds and they are absolutely worth it, I would just like to come home some time with a friend without finding the floor coverd by seeds in every room

And since it tends to be a couple of cages going on all the time, I just figured it could be a way of collect all of the mess... but I am hesitating since I do want them around and really love to hear and see them all of the time

I have been thinking about trying those seed hoppers... just have been told not to by a bunch of people who say that seeds tend to stuck... but maby its not such a big problem (working from 8-5 every day, so its quite a few hours to leave them with no food if it stucks).

I have also been thinking about plexi glas on the lower part of the cages just to stop the worst mess... but plexi is super expensive here and I would need alot... so I never get around doing it.

But if we put a side the mess... does anyone of you have a bird room? And what would you say is the best thing about it? And whats the worst? Our appartment isnt that big so the room we would gain in our kitchen and livingroom is also a factor.

Im just torn... its not a big deal, just trying to figure out the best and easiest way for me and my birdies

They are really precious to me and I want whats best for them all the day... But lets just say that I sometimes have nightmares containing alot of seeds and wood shavings from our pet mainia here

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 2:56 pm

Hello Jossi

I plan to have a dedicated Bird Room in the near future. I feel the same as you do. It would be nice to have some birds out in the main part of the home to enjoy and for visitors to see....but without the mess.

My future plan is the keep most of my birds in a Bird Room but have an enclosed Aviary that looks like a piece of furniture out in the living area. Hopefully that way the seed mess will be confined to the Aviary itself. I hope to have different birds out in the living room Aviary and maybe change them around once in a while. That way I can enjoy seeing some of my finches and having company also see them.

Here is a link to a post of one of my bird buddies. He posted his enclosed aviary set-up that he made. This is what I would like to have for the living area....something that doesn't look cagey but more like a piece of nice furniture in which I can show off some of my Finches. The seed mess stays confined and it is easier to view the Finches through the glass rather than cage bars.

http://finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15793

I just have to get my Hubby to make me one though!

Good luck with your decision.

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:00 pm

I have the majority of my bird seperate from my living area. Though I could live with them all over the house...Hubby, Kitty, and dog have other ideas..... Also some guest are sensitive to bird dander or have bird fears

I also don't want to worry about lighting a candle or having a romantic fire in the fireplace ..as these things can be life threatening to the birds. We also love to cook and with an open floor plan there is no shielding fumes from certain foods or nonstick cookware from the birds.
I created a nice sitting area in the main aviary where is a great place for me to go to unwind...no phone, no tv, no computer... just me and the birds...and usually my little dog. Hubby will come retreive me when I am missing in action for too long

I do like to keep one of my species or a small mix in the sunroom aviary so that I always have song and beauty close by. I also somehow end up with handfeds of some sort that go wherever I go

If you do place them in one room make sure you add a comfy chair for enjoying, observing, and taking notes on your critters

Chichireeo · Post by **Chichireeo** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 6:12 pm

Hi Jossi, I understand your dilemma. It was my consideration when I bought the biggest flight on wheels that will fit through doors and I wheel my bird around from bird room to living room to outdoor. At each station the cage is parked at a designated space. This does not work if you have many big cages. I compromised on the size of the flight for mobility.
I do like the health advantage of a bird room for allowing the bird long quiet sleeping hours that's easy to keep warm, especially during molting, winter, or illness. This way I can have lights and TV and visitors in the evenings. I also put the bird away in his room when cooking heavily. This protects the bird from any Teflon fumes and smoke from oil frying. As the sun goes down, my bird is eager to go to his room. If I am late putting him to bed, he seems annoyed.
Anyway, it's a difficult decision...

Jossi · Post by **Jossi** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 7:53 am

Thanks for all of your thoughts on this matter! I havent decided yet what to do, but Ill keep all of your inputs in mind when I do

These are the cages Im using at the moment:

One bigger cage whitch currently holds my male goulds and 3 canaries.

One smaller cage that holdes my female goulds. Its a bit to small, but will have to do untill I have decided on what to do.

And I also have one ordinary breeding cage with one couple on eggs. I usually put up more than one pair for breeding, but this year I decided on this one couple since Im not sure yet on how to do with the cages and all. But I would have to say that there usually are some extra cages here and there with sick, breeding or quarantine birds.

And I also have 3 cages with two guinea pigs in each... This is the total and that is what I am thinking of housing in this new bird room if I decide on making one.

And I would really love to have a nice and comfy armchair and maby a tiny little table for my coffe cup...

DanteD716 · Post by **DanteD716** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 8:57 am

My bird room is more of a small hallway. But in doesn't get used because we use the side hallway, not the front balcony hallway. But anyways, I do miss having them up in my room, but it was a pain to vacum seed and they woke me up every morning! I only have one pair of birds, so it's not that big of a deal. But I am getting some new birds sometime this week and am even debating on getting a quaker parrot so keeping them in this room is easier. It laso hard wood floors so it works great. Another plus is all you need is a little space heater to heat the room. I have one where you pick a temperature, and it keeps the room at that temperature, I use 75 degrees. Also, I have uva/uvb bulbs, the really long kind that I put right up above my cages, and you can even buy a timer for your light so it stays on from, for example, I use 5-7:00p.m. I know this is old but it might help if you didn't make a decision yet.

DanteD716 · Post by **DanteD716** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 2:09 pm

DanteD716 wrote:My bird room is more of a small hallway. But in doesn't get used because we use the side hallway, not the front balcony hallway. But anyways, I do miss having them up in my room, but it was a pain to vacum seed and they woke me up every morning! I only have one pair of birds, so it's not that big of a deal. But I am getting some new birds sometime this week and am even debating on getting a quaker parrot so keeping them in this room is easier. It laso hard wood floors so it works great. Another plus is all you need is a little space heater to heat the room. I have one where you pick a temperature, and it keeps the room at that temperature, I use 75 degrees. Also, I have uva/uvb bulbs, the really long kind that I put right up above my cages, and you can even buy a timer for your light so it stays on from, for example, I use 5-7:00p.m. I know this is old but it might help if you didn't make a decision yet.

Correction, I thought it was old, I was looking at the date you joined by mistake. Sorry

Ameza · Post by **Ameza** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:23 am

Myself I would love to have a seperate room for my birds, because that would mean I could have more birds ^^
But I think I would keep a pair or two in my living room, because like you said. One would probably interact less with the birds if they are in a seperate room, or at least I would miss them in the living room

Jossi · Post by **Jossi** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:36 am

Hi guys!

I decided to try the bird room Idea, and they are now moved, well not the breeding cage... the eggs are due to hatch any day now, so no disturbance there

Ill move them later on when everything is safe.
So far it feels nice to have a little more room in our other living space and I think the room ended up pretty beautiful. I put a chair in and I hope this will be my retreat

Ill post some photos when Im all set. I decided to try it out, I can always move them all back if I feel it doesent work. The room is in direct connection to the livingroom, so I still hear them and see them when I walk past the door. Now Im eager to get all the lighting in place and all the finishing touches in place

@Ameza:
Well the room isnt that big so no more birds for me... its stuffed with birds and guinea pigs all ready

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