FINCHforum

Hi,

Does anyone know where I can buy prefabricated aviary panels in the US?

Thanks.
Chris

there is a company that advertises in bird talk magazine, that is called corners limited, they make a wide range of aviary set ups for zoo applications and also have a good selection of cages for the hobbyist, maybe twenty years ago i bought a cage from them and i was very pleased with it and the trays for their cages are also well made.

they have a web sight under their name and they also have a catalog, they also have a design team that will work with you.

if you want to make your own panels, a good place to find the wire and other related tools and such, would be a place also advertised in bird talk in their classified section. the name of their busseness is "the ammermans" , i have ordered from them a number of times and have never had any problems. i always try to order my wire in smaller quantities, so it can be shipped ups, on larger orders they like to ship by truck, which can be more expensive, they have a wide variety of wire gauges and such, so you may want to order a sample first to make sure of what you want.

Corners Limited is the cadillac of bird flights/aviaries. Several years ago, I was privileged to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the bird program at the Toledo Zoo. I was just as crazy for the amazing Corners Limited aviaries as I was to see all the wonderful birds. As Mitch suggested - definitely worth looking into.

I had not heard of Ammerman's - will take a look - Thank you for sharing!

Another source is KW Cages, though since they are on the west coast, shipping might make them out of reach.

http://clover.forest.net/kwcages/index.html

I was lucky enough to get some Corners Limited cages (four triple-stack double breeders) in an estate sale. As the man's health deteriorated, the cages became quite filthy. Power washing cleaned them up, but there will always be permanent stains to the metal. These cages will last forever! They are expensive, so if you ever see them on craigslist, etc., snap them up.

Thank you all for the links. I will check them out. Is it cheaper to hire a carpenter to build an aviary than to buy pre-fabricated panels? Has anyone done a cost analysis?

Thank you.
Chris

Chris,
being a carpenter/cabinet maker it is a lot cheaper to have them
made by a local trades person, you get exactualy (sp) what you want.
( if it's small just buy it from a place that sells them. If it's a big and odd size that's where you will save by having someone local do it)
You can also have a sheet metal shop fabricate the metal so that you can put it together.
lou

Lou,

Thank you. You are right about hiring a local carpenter and getting exactly what you want. I am planning to build a large aviary with several sections for both indoor and outdoor (winter housing). My only concern is that if I have to move, I want to take the aviary with me. Maybe I can ask the carpenter to build the aviary in modules that can be easily taken apart.

Thanks.
Chris

Like you said Chris, have him make it in panels ( top,sides front and back , that way you can just screw all the panels together). Just make sure that he/she uses dry wood it's more stable
lou

Lou,

Thanks for the tips.

Chris

Chris , I think that someone on this list made one out of screen doors:)
lou

For anyone not building a larger aviary, but makeing smaller cages, i would recommend the plastic trays from the ammermans which are very nice and can be stacked which comes in handy for cleaning, because you can keep a stack of tray ready and just do a "quick change", but i found that some of their metal trays had sharp edges on them which can be a little dangerous---for the metal type trays i think corners limited does a very good job with rolled edges and such, so they are a little safer--i just wanted to throw that out there because cage makeing can be a little dangerous if care is not taken with the sharp edges of the metal--especialy when working with the wire, care must be taken with the sharp edges where cuts are made, the edges can be very sharp and can cut you very easily--i always like to file those down to make them safer so i do not get cut when makeing the cage or when cleaning the cage later on.

I just wanted to throw that out there, because i know its not any fun getting cut with sharp edges and such, and many like myself have others maybe "babysit" our feathered friends when we will be gone on vacation or something and we don't want to see anyone who is unaware of these things get hurt--i am lucky to have two beautiful grand daughters who can help me when needed--so when i make the extra safety precautions i think of them.

Mitch,

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Chris