FINCHforum

So, I've found an awesome china cabinet on craigslist that I plan to convert to house a few finches. I've scoured the forum and the internet at large for all the info I could gather, and now I'm looking for input from anyone who has done this (or thought about doing it).
Any suggestions? Anything you would do differently next time around?
I have a few wire cage carcasses that I intend to recycle for access doors, etc., and I may use plexiglass on the lower portions to contain the messes and put a full spectrum light in the top.
What other great ideas can you all share?

I've never built one myself, but it sure sounds like an awesome project! From what I gather that others have said, make sure you have plenty of access to the cage - not just doors for feeding, but to clean, and for catching the birds if you had to. A lot of people say doors in the side are a big help. It's a good idea to have the interior of the cage easy to clean, too.

Here you go...

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... ilit=china

I did one a couple of years ago by using a cabinet I bought from craigslist.

First off, paint your wire mesh black on both sides before fastening it to the cabinet.
Flat black works best. You'll see right through the wire and your birds will pop out. I will admit that white poop does stand out on black mesh. I fastened the mesh with a heavy duty stapler on the inside of the cabinet. I saw a nice one for sale a while ago and he screwed the mesh on the outside of the very nice cabinet and it looked HORRIBLE.

As others have said, plan out your doors so you can feed AND clean.
Be creative on how you use the lower section of the cabinet to hold supplies out of view.

Last but not least POST PHOTOS!

Thanks for the tips, and the link! I will definitely post pictures.

I recently made this gouldian indoor aviary out of a Craigslist find for $50.00. I took the mirror out of the back driller 1.5" holes in back and then built outside nesting boxes to conserve indoor space. I then covered the back with an outdoor carpet purchased at lowes. I added perches and small ledges for finches to go I to holes to nesting boxes. I then added a water feeder teardrop shaped hanging from walmart and a feeder also. In addition I purchased some slid plants and greenery from the ..$tree for added color . They absolutely love it. Lastly, I took some heater register covers and cut squares out of top of cabinet and inserted those for air flow. They love it..... For easy cleaning I used Armstrong sticky tiles for the floor for easy cleaning of the droppings and leftover seed. I bet in total I have less than ..$80 into it and such a beauty......

Very nice!
And the rear-mounted nest boxes are clever.

Here is a link my friend sent me on a converted wardrobe.

http://empressofcreativity.blogspot.com ... dents.html

Looks great! Very crafty.

WOW, that turned out beautiful!!
best of luck

Asym wrote: Here is a link my friend sent me on a converted wardrobe.

http://empressofcreativity.blogspot.com ... dents.html

I saw that one too. Very impressive!
I decided to order some cheapo black cages to use for parts; I definitely wanted black for visibility, and since the cages cost no more than the mesh, lumber and hardware alternative I opted for the convenience factor. They are due to be delivered today, actually, so I can start the deconstructing and reconstructing. The issue I'm having now is that there isn't as much headroom as I need for the lights I intended to install, so I need to re-work that detail.
At the moment I have five cages w/10 birds all in my bedroom, so I'm looking forward to finishing this project!

This is going to be my next project. I will post pics as I go.

nick86 wrote: This is going to be my next project. I will post pics as I go.

Can't wait to see, I love a good project