Sheather's "Bird Kitchen"

[Sheather]

Ive recently moved in with my grandmother due to some issues at home (I'm comparably a bit of a young fellow on this forum, it seems), and have been able to turn the entire apartment's upstairs, long-unused kitchen into an indoor aviary sort of set up! While my six society finches and two Java sparrows are still caged at night in their own respective enclosures, they're now free to fly and mingle all day long. The room is indoor/outdoor carpet and all of the shelving either smooth plastic, ceramic, or varnished wood, so clean-up is very simple. I have attached numerous branches (cut from a backyard Yew tree) near the ceiling, ziptied to flowerpot hooks above the windows or to the hinge on the refrigerator (which still works, holds the bird's veggies) and then ziptied appealing silk foliage to the branches to create a mini forest for the finchs' enjoyment - and boy do they love it! I believe my Javas were aviary-bred, and they were already allowed some free-flight before, but never for all day in a natural-ish environment, and the society finches have never been let out to fly at all. It's so beautiful to watch all the birds moving as a flock about the room and foraging on the veggies and millet I clip on the branches. They all hop to and from both cages, but everyone knows which cage is theirs when it gets dark and it's time for bed. Since being semi-freed in this new set-up, the birds are growing increasingly tame and a few of the societies will now land on us to eat seeds from the palms of our hands. I truly recommend free-flight, even if just in a bird-proofed, normal room, because the advantages and improvements I've noticed in my bird's happiness are incredible - no more bickering, no more arguing, everyone gets their exercise and enough space to do whatever they like without bothering one another. I plan to introduce a pair of zebra finches (with their own cage as home-base) in the future.

[delray]

Very nice setup

[finchandlovebird]

Really lovely. You are clever (and lucky) to fix up that space for your birds

[KarenB]

I love it! I wish mine could fly free like that. I love the way you have the plants placed. Very pretty and practical for the birds.

[Sally]

What a great idea! I'm sure your birds are much happier having all that space.

[MiaCarter]

How lovely! I never thought to hang little swings from the ceiling! I love the natural wood perches too. You just gave me a bunch of ideas!
Love it!

[Ginene]

Wow!!! It's a Birdie Paradise

[lovezebs]

Good job, Dylan.
It's beautiful and perfect, cause you have some counter space to work on and a 'sink'!
I have considered some cages in other rooms in the house, but the fact that there are no sinks except small bathroom ones throws me right off . To clean cages, I need a large sink or a double sink like I have in my kitchen. I can't work in a tiny sink, and I can't run up and down the stairs with all the bird stuff.
So Dylan, hats off to you.

[ranchnanny]

Love the space you created for your birds very nice....

[Corkysgirl]

You make me wish I were a bird! Really nice!

[wildbird]

Beautiful birds and set up. How do you keep them from flying into the windows? They look like happy healthy birds. Very nice!

[Sheather]

Well, the basic rule of "teaching finches to understand windows" is to let them out to fly in a small room where they can figure out that windows are impenetrable by gently fluttering into them with the soft screens open - all they need to do is be fluttering from their cage, exploring, looking for a new perch and to flutter against the window harmlessly to learn that a window can't be flown through. That's all mine did before they came to live free in the bird kitchen. Now everyone is aware windows are windows, and they treat them as if they're walls even when the glass is down. I've never had anyone hit one now even when someone freaks out and they all fly. Keeping plants or other hanging stuff in front helps too since they take flight to land on that and not on what they see outside.

New pics!



Michael le Java, with Errol and Aurora (back), and Apollo (cute guy to the right) the societies.



Albert, the derpiest crested society (this side of Lovezeb's Gimpy. )



With Apollo and his sister Lizzie behind.

[Sheather]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6XFkaaDAa0

Only problem was, my webcam is dumb and made this a mirror image of how everything is actually arranged in the bird room, so take note of that when watching.

[Sheather]

Current state of my bird room.

1x green crested canary (Steve)
2x Java Sparrow - White (Max), Gray (Luna)
7x Society (Albert, Aurora, Flurry, Errol, Lyra, Lizzie, Apollo)
3x Society chicks, just a few days old, and 6 unhatched eggs.





^Canary and Java cages.


^society cages.

The societies are taking wonderful care of their babies even while being allowed free-flight. This is one of the two nests, which is being taken care of by my pair Flurry and Errol, and their grown children Lizzie and Apollo who hatched in February. So far, just a single chick has hatched (who we are calling Simba XD) and all four caretakers dote on his every need. He is the oldest chick at almost 2 days right now, and the other 2 eggs in his nest are yet to hatch.



^ Simba with mother Flurry

Out in the room, Luna, Steve, and Max





My beautiful but super clumsy canary Steve. Steve never had the space to fly at his old home, and is just getting the hang of it now.







Steve and father-son societies Errol (right) and Apollo (left) in the Java's cage



Apollo and sister Lizzie.



Lyra eying the Java's nestbox.



^above the society cages.



The birds are confined to their room with a magnetic screen curtain, so they do not fly about but can be seen and heard from outside.



King of the room!



"What is it?"

[MiaCarter]

Aw, look at him! (Simba) All cute and naked!

I love the foliage you've selected for your cages. So pretty!

And Oh. My. Goodness. Steve slays me! And he totally looks like a Steve!
Look at that fabulous toupee! I need a crested bird. They just make me chuckle with their funny looks!
It would enrich my life. LOL