Aviary masacre

urbantiger · Post by **urbantiger** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 2:08 pm

I am at a loss..
I've kept aviary birds for many years with much breeding success.
I sold all my birds back in 1998 as having disabled children it took too much of my time.
We moved home about 2 years ago and decided last November to build a large aviary as my youngest is showing a real interest.

The Aviary is in the corner of the garden about 9' wide 17' long just over 6' high. Built around 2 large shrubs and a small tree.
I dug a 3' deep trench and buried 1/4" mesh down, bent with a right angle out at the bottom of the trench, filled in with gravel and cement, fixed to the top i half buried heavy railway sleepers,
to that i fixed the main 3" X 4" timber frame, then the panels 2" X 1" with 1/4" mesh fixed to that,
part of the roof at the back has corrugated plastic panels for shelter.

I stocked the aviary with 3 Japenese quail, 2 pr Canaries, 3 pr Bengalese, 4 pr Zebras and 1 pr Diamond doves.
For a while everything was great with the majority paired off and nesting,
then youg Zebras and Bengalese leaving the nest young canaris and Diamond doves, over 40 birds in the aviary.

Then disaster started to strike i kept finding birds missing,
i searched finding no holes not even tiny ones,
then i started to find dead bodies half eaten, we found some holes in the floor, so a pest control man pumped poison down the hole.

I caught up the remaining few birds and put them in small cages in the garage, while i dug up the floor laid 1/4" mesh over the whole floor concreting around the edges and any joins, around the base of the shrubs.
I then filled in with gravel, then covered with soil and shredded bark.
After a few days of checking for holes and no signs of digging,
i released a few finches into the aviary, only the next morning to find them all dead.
In all i lost 36 birds. There is no sign of any hole in the floor walls or roof and cannot see how rats can still be getting in, and also to be able to catch and kill so many birds.

I dont know what to do next

HAS ANY ONE ANY IDEAS?? PLease

Post by **Sally** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 2:37 pm

Oh, my gosh, I cannot imagine losing so many birds--so sorry for your loss.

In reading your story, you seem to have taken every precaution that is listed in articles about predators. The mesh you used is 1/4", which is supposed to keep out rats and snakes. You dug a trench around the perimeter and angled the mesh out to keep predators from digging underneath. And when that didn't work, you laid 1/4" mesh down for the floor of the aviary.

I cannot think of anything else you might have done. Were the missing and killed birds the smaller finches, or did you lose Diamond Doves as well? I would keep the rest of the birds inside in cages, and set traps in the aviary. At least if you can catch something, you will know what you are fighting.

Hopefully, others with more aviary experience will have some tips for you. It would help if you would post your location in your profile, it is easier to answer questions if we know where you are located.

DVBourassa · Post by **DVBourassa** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 2:48 pm

urbantiger wrote:After a few days of checking for holes and no signs of digging, i released a few finches into the aviary, only the next morning to find them all dead.

Were they dead like eaten or dead like maybe they came in contact with the pest poison?

urbantiger · Post by **urbantiger** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:04 pm

this s what the aviary looks like.
Its a bit greener now as this was taken back in February.

Some of the former residents

urbantiger · Post by **urbantiger** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:15 pm

The bodies i found, all that was left was the heads and wings.
like something out of the predator films
horrrible

It was finches canaries 2 diamond doves and all 3 japanese quail,
whatever did it would have to be so quick and agile
even in the dark climbing up to get the roosting finches.

I am now setting traps and poison in the empty aviary

urbantiger · Post by **urbantiger** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:18 pm

whatever it is rat or snake is getting through 1/4" mesh
as there is no holes or gaps bigger than 1/4"

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 4:02 pm

How about the door?
How tight is the spacing around the door?

How long have you had the aviary?
1/4" wire mesh in the ground will rust. And the 1/4" mesh is not heavy wire, so it will rust through faster than the heavy stuff. So the mesh you put in the ground "could be" rusted through so pests could dig through it.

urbantiger · Post by **urbantiger** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 4:37 pm

The Aviary was finished February this year.
1/4" twilweld mesh is a lot stronger than chicken wire mesh.
The first Birds were in early March.

The mesh in the floor was only laid last week then the concrete then the gravel etc.

There is extra beading around the door that also acts as a door stop you couldnt get a pencil thru there.

Pukasand · Post by **Pukasand** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 4:56 pm

That is really sad. Such a nice aviary, too. I am so sorry for your loss. Keep us posted as to who/what the culprit is. I hope your children are okay... it has to be devastating to them, too.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 4:59 pm

Rats or weasel..if you're finding remains more likely rats.Somewhere there's a hole...no matter how closely you've looked there's got to be one somewhere.Traps in an empty aviary are the only way to solve this one.
There are no snakes in the UK that cause problems like this...and they swallow whole anyway.If those shrubs and the tree are planted in the ground a possible access via the roots is possible.

urbantiger · Post by **urbantiger** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:13 pm

i agree it has to be rats
but they must have been smart, when they left they fill in the hole behind them as no evidence of holes any where.

Even more so now there is mesh and concrete yet they are still getting in.

must be a new breed called Ratus Hoodinii

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:13 pm

So sorry for your loss can't think of anything but rats have to have place to get in.

DVBourassa · Post by **DVBourassa** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:22 pm

I know you said you checked for holes. Are there any places where the walls or roof are attached to the frame far enough apart to squeeze between the frame and the mesh wall or roof? Without floor access they might be climbing up and getting in higher.

Pukasand · Post by **Pukasand** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 6:39 pm

I agree, rats. They can squeeze thru holes much thinner than they appear. Nasty little buggers!

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:14 am

Just a thought, but are you sure the rats were OUTSIDE the aviary before you laid wire over the floor. They haven't been living somewhere inside the whole time getting hungry while the finches were taken out and then had a feast when they were returned.

I agree with poohbear regarding the plant roots as the possible original entrance point, have seen this before.

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