Which plants/grasses safe for my outdoor aviary?

[finchbob]

I'm looking for plants I could put in my outdoor aviary, i don't want it overran by plants, just some to make it look nicer, but the plants must be safe for the birds, incase they eat them.

I've been looking at some grasses which produce seeds that the birds will eat, i've found this cool blue one, but will it be safe for the birds? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FESTUCA-GLAUCA-BL ... 4839b9848a

Also to note this aviary is going to have mainly masked grass finches in it, i'm not sure if those prefer grass but the name implies it?

[cindy]

This is in the finch info section...it may help


http://www.finchinfo.com/housing/safe_a ... plants.php

[nixity]

If you can get your hands on Switchgrass, Rye, any of the panicum grasses, sorghum, millet, wheat grass, etc., they would work well.

You could also do thick ferns which the waxbills really like to nest in - in hanging pots.

I would avoid expensive tropical plants unless they have really tough stalks and leaves because otherwise you will probably find they just get destroyed.

[Mannikin_luver]

I think personally that any finch would appreciate the natural feel and security of plants in a aviary. As for the Masked Grass finches, from what I did with a bit of searching says that they must be totally left alone when breeding and ANY interference will cause them to abandon.

Have you looked into any conifer trees?

[finchbob]

No I haven't, i'm slightly put off using real plants due to something I read about dead parts of the plant beginning to go mouldy which would be toxic to the birds, the article I read caused quite a scare for me.

[finchbob]

http://www.easyplants.co.uk/trees.html

Some nice artifical trees here, would these be better for the birds? It's not like the birds care if the tree is a real one or a fake one, or is it? These actually cost about the same as a real plant, only they arn't a health risk.

[Mannikin_luver]

I think they are all very nice! Nope, I don't believe the birds can tell the difference between a real and a fake tree so they should be fine!

I have two long strands of fake ivy wrapped and intertwined in my bronze winged mannikin cage with there nest hidden in the highest part of the cage with a vine wrapped around it. I also have real pine tree limbs in my cage with my cuts and zebras and they take them apart and use the needles in there nests with no ill side effects, so I believe it is all preference. I like to incorporate a bit of both, fake and real.

[franny]

Wow, those are pretty expensive! Are real trees actually that expensive? At least with silk they last awhile...but eventually the birds will pick at them and tear the silk leaves. Not sure how well they'd stand up to repeated washing either, and not sure I'd want to find out for that price!

If you have good drainage in your outdoor aviary, and some sunlight, to dry out the trees after rain or after hosing them down, I don't think there would be a problem with mold. Use organic soil or top up the planters with rocks to keep the birds away from anything in the soil you are worried about. Enough people do have live plants, for me to think it can't be that big of a risk. Ask MikeP or Ray Ray. They both have live plants in their aviaries, as do many others here.

As far as the birds caring if they are real or not, I don't think they can tell either.

[finchbob]

So far i've ordered some Chickweed Seeds, I heard those are good, and also some seeds for this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT - I read that Festuca Glauca (a type of grass) produces good seeds for birds to eat. I just hope the blue variety is good too. I'll grow the seeds into grasses in pots and give them to the birds.

[franny]

So far i've ordered some Chickweed Seeds, I heard those are good, and also some seeds for this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT - I read that Festuca Glauca (a type of grass) produces good seeds for birds to eat. I just hope the blue variety is good too. I'll grow the seeds into grasses in pots and give them to the birds.

You can buy chickweed seeds??!!! Who knew! Around here it is REALLY considered a weed, and although I tried to find seeds around here, no one had any. I tried to grow it myself from some I picked, and the cat just kept pulling it up and chewing it. So now I have to content myself with picking "weeds" out of the neighbours' yards. I get some funny looks when I walk around with bundles of chickweed and bouquets of dandelions! I don't think they believe me when I say its for my birds.

[finchbob]

Heh, yeah found some on ebay.

[mickp]

try feathergrass/fountain grass, grows well in the aviary and the birds will love the seed heads.
grows well in pots or planted out.

[nixity]

try feathergrass/fountain grass, grows well in the aviary and the birds will love the seed heads.
grows well in pots or planted out.

Do you know what the scientific name of this is? I recently learned about a nursery that sells grass seed (this is where I bought the Switchgrass from) but most of them are in scientific names and I have no idea what most of them are

[Sally]

I set pots of purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) in the room that I used as a free-flight aviary for a short time last year. The birds loved it so well that they were all demolished within a very short period of time. If I did this again, I would need to plant up a number of pots so that I could cycle them in and out of the aviary.

Tiffany, what nursery did you find that has grass seed? I have found a few places that cater to farms--I don't want to buy it by the TON!

[bluebutterfly213]

purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum)

There is also Pennisetum Rubrum (deep purple leaves)
and Pennisetum alopecuroides (sold in OZ as Swamp foxtail grass)
I also have in my aviary a couple of potted Monsterea (spelling?) the bird love them, on a hot day they all go and sit in the shade of the large leaves. Pandorea jasminodes is a climber I use too.
Im going try a couple of pots of Gaura, when I can get some to grow!