Front view of one of my aviaries

[JohnBoy]

I built this summer of 2008 using screen door panels from Lowes. I got the idea from the finch info web site. It is 12' long and 6' deep and 6.5' high. I built it myself, I am handicapped so it did take me about 2 months to build. I had a friend help me hold things in place while I pieced it together.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8383 ... 003jq7.jpg

[L in Ontario]

Wow - that looks terrific JohnBoy!! Nice and airy with lots of room! Well done!

[B CAMP]

Looks terrific and well thought out very good job bet the finchs love it

[lovemyfinch]

Absolutely amazing.

[akidsgal]

Stunning! I would love to have a place like that!

[Sally]

I love that aviary! I have wondered about using the screen-door panels outside, as they were used for an indoor aviary at the FIC. Then I realized--they are screen doors, after all, meant to be on the outside of a house. Do you have the roll-up blinds to cut the sun or protect from rain? Is the roof solid?

[JohnBoy]

Hi Sally, The roof is solid. It's fiberglass wall panels used in bathroom showers. The blinds are open during the day. I close them when we get heavy rain, it blocks the wind from blowing the rain in and I also close them at night so bright lights from cars and night critters etc. don't bother the birds.
On the panels I put 2 coats of paint and then coated it with vinyl coating to protect from the weather. So far so good.
It's built on a deck with pressure, weather treated deck boards. The whole wood floor is covered with hardware cloth to keep critters from getting in from under the deck. In the winter I wrap the aviary in heavy duty painters plastic. I also use an industrial heater which I put inside a hardware cloth box that I made.

[CandoAviary]

Love your aviary but was wondering how you keep the birds from flying out when you open the doors? Also did you replace the screen with welded wire?. If not how do you keep them getting caught on the screens with thier toenails? And how do you keep predators out?

[JohnBoy]

There is a small door 2x4 feet on the left side. When I open the door to enter all the birds fly up and to the other end. I have never lost a bird. The screen was torn out and replaced with half inch hardware cloth. The hard ware cloth was painted black before I attached it to the panels. The panels are pieced together with brackets and the aviary is bolted to the deck with brackets. It's been through one category 1 hurricane and it passed that test. The birds were caught and brought in before the storm hit.

[Sherri]

Wow, it's beautiful!

[Ursula]

It's beautiful!

I see you have a bamboo in there. I am so jealous! I love bamboo and it (twice!) in my indoor aviary but it doesn't seem to like the indoor climate and quickly dies. Now it's just dried out bamboo sticks which I keep in there for now til I rearrange again...

I've heard that finches can get caught in screen with their nails. Did you ever have a problem with that?

[Pukasand]

Very nice! Job well done. I was wondering about the screen, also. Thanks for the info. YOU DID GOOD!

[JohnBoy]

It's beautiful!

I see you have a bamboo in there. I am so jealous! I love bamboo and it (twice!) in my indoor aviary but it doesn't seem to like the indoor climate and quickly dies. Now it's just dried out bamboo sticks which I keep in there for now til I rearrange again...

I've heard that finches can get caught in screen with their nails. Did you ever have a problem with that?

I would never use screen on my aviaries. It is a sure death for the birds. The screen is replaced with hardware cloth. The bamboo does not last long. The birds shred it. I keep several plants and keep them rotating as the others heal and grow back.

[CandoAviary]

Thanks for the info... now next question. I am asking because I have an aviary outside that I put the 1/2 weld wire/hardware cloth on the inside of the 2x4 frame and then I screened the outside of the 2x4 with screen. The wire to protect the birds and the screen to keep out mosquitoes. I live in FL and the mosquitoes are bad. I don't want the birds to be snacked on all night for fear that this weakens them tremendously. (I use to have canaries outdoors and the mosquitoes would feed on the legs,,,sometimes I would see several on them at one time, they always seemed to be so tired until I screened and got rid of the bugs)) I also worry about mosquito born ilnesses like west niles, pox, etc.
I ask not to judge your keeping but I am in the process of closing in a balcony and have the hardcloth in place. It is on the second story so applying screen on the outside is going to be a pain and I was thinking that maybe I could skip the screen??? It is higher up and I know mosquitoes usually feed close to the ground ( Main reason wild birds are not bothered much,,most roost up high and ground dwelling birds have thick leg skin)
Anyway... long way around to my question but have you ever had any problems with mosqitoes feeding? Disease?

[Ursula]

Thanks, JohnBoy! That's what I thought, that screen can't be used. I didn't realize you replaced it.

Candace,
Maybe you could make "double-panels" and put a screen outside of wider mesh, with an inch or so of space inbetween? That way you could keep mosquitos out but the birds away from the screen?