The Pro's And Con's Of A Free Flight Bird Room

[w.l.]

On this thread, I posted pics of my former birdroom:
http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=33049

Forget the daily scrubbing.
One of the main advantages of having a birdroom or aviary is that it needs to be cleaned less frequently than a small cage, unless it is horribly overcrowded, of course.

[lovezebs]

w.l.

Ok, now I get it....
When you spoke of plastic sheets, I thought you meant something like this below.....

Thinking of linoleum, I'd probably go for something super ugly like this. Look at it, it looks like it already has bird poop on it

[lovezebs]

Babs

Thanks Babsi, that's exactly what I meant, but didn't know what the name of it was. You're the greatest

I was actually thinking of either or when I mentioned screen door or those flippy floppy thingies, but this is all still only in the thinking "maybe" stages, and so....

[lovezebs]

Sheather

Hi Dylan,

My doors, are standard sized, but I see your point about some enterprising little Pokey deciding to follow me underneath the curtain thingie.

Sadly, it would be her last walk.....

More brain storming needed, lol.

[lovezebs]

Barbara

I can sympathize with your knee problems my dear, they are such a pain.

I hope they feel better soon.

Say, when you mention "clear plastic half way up the wall", what type of plastic is it, and did you attach it to the wall? Need lot's of ideas....

[lovezebs]

w.l.

I notice that you speak about your bird room in past tense. Did you dismantle it for some reason? And why, if you don't mind my asking?

As in regards to cleaning, I think cleaning a room, would be a lot easier than all the flights and cages .

I can clean a room top to bottom in around half an hour (on a slow day). Cleaning all the cages and flights, takes me considerably longer lately.

Regarding disturbing nesting birds, lol.
My birds are used to me running around with a super-sized Hoover, reaching inside the flights with vacume hoses and long handled brushes, half crawling into the flights to wipe, change papers, remove dishes, clean perches, etc. I really can't imagine being in a free flight room would make them more nervous, than being caged up. Or at least I hope not.

[lovezebs]

I love the looks of this, minust the fish pond of course.

This is an outside area, but I'm certain that something similar could be created in an inside area on a much smaller scale.

https://youtu.be/_qCpiWW-yp4

[w.l.]

lovezebs

I moved to another house which has no such rom, though has ample garden space for outdoor aviaries in return. Alas, the funds to build them are still missing.
Believe me, the former inhabitants if the birdroom, now mostly in indoor aviaries, miss it sorely!

[w.l.]

I love the looks of this, minust the fish pond of course.

And minus the horrid plastic tortoise, I hope!

[lovezebs]

w.l.

No, not the ugly (I think ceramic) tortoise.

Had I lived in a country with better weather and could have an outdoor aviary, I would have the real ones, as I happen to be rather fond of tortoises, and kept them as a child.

I hope you will be able to build your aviaries soon.

[w.l.]

I also like live turtles and tortoises, but consider plastic and ceramic animals of all sorts placed in a garden or greenhouse the ultimate kitsch and proof of bad taste.

[Dave]

Doors--I found that an inward-opening door works best for a bird room. Also, a piece of fabric or poly hanging about half-way down from the top of the door frame, outside the door. I have to duck to get into the room. Birds would escape through the top area of the doorway when I opened the door. The hanging poly, while making me duck, also prevented the escapes.

[lovezebs]

Dave

Most burds, lol.

Check out Sheather Dylan's marching Canary ground forces further up in this thread

I initially considered one of those black magnetic curtain thingies, but I find that bottom part of it is way too flimsy, and I have one ground hugging Canary girl (Pokey), who would be through that in no time flat.

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

Anytime girlie! I researched that curtain a while back when we talked ;)

I think as long as your screen door is true size to the door frame, and there's no room underneath for escapees, with the curtain you would be good to go.

To me the biggest plunge is letting them out. and trusting the set up. Thats hard when you are so used to them being secured in cages.

But if you really think about it, it's no more a risk than when we clean cages and an occasional bird gets out and we are running all over the place with our net to get to it before our dogs do.

[lovezebs]

w.l.

I don't mind some of them as much.

Where we lived before, there was a very attractive backyard garden, where life sized (very well made and life like) bunnies peeked out from beneath shrubs and folliage. The first time I saw this, I thought they were real, lol.

Then there is one of my present neighbor's back yard.
Passing by last May, I noted some rather large white plastic rabbits staring at me with glassy eyes. The following day, they appeared to be in a slightly different position, and the third day, they moved (making the hair on the back of my neck rise).

Not plastic, very real Hares...

This Winter, they were in my front yard, eating hay that I put out