Anyone build an aviary?

[MnGuy]

Has anyone here built an outside aviary for their parrots? If so, can you address:

- Did you build a second "shell"/protective layer of fencing around your aviary? If so, how many inches separate the inner and outer layers? Did weeds, grass, trees, etc. growing in between the layers become an issue? How did you deal with it?

- Did you bury fencing and if so, how deep and how far out from your aviary? I've read some recommendations that instead of burying a wire barrier to keep digging animals out, all you need is a 2-foot tall wood base for your aviary, with 1 foot buried underground and 1 foot above ground.

- How do you hang perches? Did you install beams to hang them from?

- How much damage have your parrots caused to the aviary?

- Did you leave the ground as-is (grassy) or did you add a sand or concrete floor? How did your choice play out?

- Anything else you think is good to think about?

- Can you share pictures?



I'm thinking of building a wood frame aviary with wire mesh stapled on the outside of the frame. I would only keep my parrots in there while I'm also outside, but I want it to be secure enough that I can go inside for a bathroom break or a glass of water without worry.

I would build a secure entryway, and I would prefer to keep the ground grassy because of how much space I want to cover. I would like to add a roof to half of it and keep the other half exposed.

We have birds of prey in my area, so I'm concerned about them attacking my parrots through the fence, hence my question about creating two layers of fencing.

 

[expressmailtome]

@Fuzzy has a very nice aviary. @Destiny also has a very nice one, but you will have to look for the threads.

 

[Fuzzy]

Thanks Matthew. Yes, I have an aviary. I've had two in two different houses.

The current one is made of wood with stainless steel mesh (2.5cm/1 inch spacing for Amazons and Pionus). The one in my old house was aluminium with galvanised wire mesh which I had to wash with diluted vinegar and and a brush to take off any flakes that could be ingested.

They were/are both built on decking so I can't answer some of your questions. Both aviaries were built attached to the house which I find so useful - no transporting the bird outside in a carrier. I just open the doors and they can choose to go out there or come back in as they want to.

No double mesh on either.

No damage to the wooden aviary - I used hard wood to be sure. I also coat the wood with bird safe oil every year or so. I use Osmo Oil which is safe for animals and children. Not sure if it's this one, but I get the one without any extra additives:

UV-Protection Oil - Osmo UK

Clear Protection for Vertical Structures Highly water and dirt resistant Environmentally friendly wood finish 410 is safe for humans, plants and animals when dry Clear and transparent colour finishes available Microporous, penetrating finish which does not crack, peel or flake No sanding...

osmouk.com

For perches, I have put in big multi-branches propped from the floor to the side of the aviary. I stick some of the branches through the mesh to secure them. Then I add some cross branches. From the roof and crossbeams I have Boings and other hanging "playgyms". In the summer I usually attach a rope or two out there too.

I was using plastic chain to hang the Boings etc from the roof to lighten the load. It becomes brittle and breaks after a year or two. I've bought some plastic coated stainless steel S hooks which work well for two hanging baskets of strawberries. I've also got some thinner plastic coated stainless steel chain to see if that's better than the plastic chain. Trouble with normal chain, is most of it rusts pretty quickly even though it might be labelled stainless steel.

There are some large pots of bamboo. Open soil wasn't a problem with the birds, until JoeJoe came along and would constantly try to eat the soil. So I covered the soil with pebbles from the garden centre. The bamboo is great. JoeJoe loves to hang off the culms when it rains or when I spray him.

I added some plastic corrugated roof sheets to the aluminium aviary in London, but I found it disintegrated pretty quickly with moss/mould growing on it. I haven't put any "roof" on the current aviary. It's east facing and sheltered by the house and seems to work ok without. In the 7 years it has been in place, I have found maybe 5 wild bird droppings. I just hose them away... it's great having a hose in the aviary! And no, none of the birds have ever touched it - it's a wind up one that is attached to the wall so only the end sticks out.

This was it when it was first built. The double doors lead to the sitting room/bird room. It's built in the space between the conservatory and garage. The carpenter who built it, built exactly the same for the person who recommended him - he has Macaws. He built his with soft wood and has has very little chewing. Likely because the wire is attached to the inside of the wood:



The cross beams inside. I was using metal chain to hang the boings until they went rusty:



New decking as Ollie was chewing the old decking wood. New decking is hard wood (no more chewing!):



From inside the house. New aviary so nothing much in it yet:



JoeJoe eating bamboo:



This was the one in London. I hadn't put the corrugated plastic roof on it yet:



Hope that helps.

 

[MnGuy]

Thanks Matthew. Yes, I have an aviary. I've had two in two different houses.

The current one is made of wood with stainless steel mesh (2.5cm/1 inch spacing for Amazons and Pionus). The one in my old house was aluminium with galvanised wire mesh which I had to wash with diluted vinegar and and a brush to take off any flakes that could be ingested.

They were/are both built on decking so I can't answer some of your questions. Both aviaries were built attached to the house which I find so useful - no transporting the bird outside in a carrier. I just open the doors and they can choose to go out there or come back in as they want to.

No double mesh on either.

No damage to the wooden aviary - I used hard wood to be sure. I also coat the wood with bird safe oil every year or so. I use Osmo Oil which is safe for animals and children. Not sure if it's this one, but I get the one without any extra additives:

UV-Protection Oil - Osmo UK

Clear Protection for Vertical Structures Highly water and dirt resistant Environmentally friendly wood finish 410 is safe for humans, plants and animals when dry Clear and transparent colour finishes available Microporous, penetrating finish which does not crack, peel or flake No sanding...

osmouk.com

For perches, I have put in big multi-branches propped from the floor to the side of the aviary. I stick some of the branches through the mesh to secure them. Then I add some cross branches. From the roof and crossbeams I have Boings and other hanging "playgyms". In the summer I usually attach a rope or two out there too.

I was using plastic chain to hang the Boings etc from the roof to lighten the load. It becomes brittle and breaks after a year or two. I've bought some plastic coated stainless steel S hooks which work well for two hanging baskets of strawberries. I've also got some thinner plastic coated stainless steel chain to see if that's better than the plastic chain. Trouble with normal chain, is most of it rusts pretty quickly even though it might be labelled stainless steel.

There are some large pots of bamboo. Open soil wasn't a problem with the birds, until JoeJoe came along and would constantly try to eat the soil. So I covered the soil with pebbles from the garden centre. The bamboo is great. JoeJoe loves to hang off the culms when it rains or when I spray him.

I added some plastic corrugated roof sheets to the aluminium aviary in London, but I found it disintegrated pretty quickly with moss/mould growing on it. I haven't put any "roof" on the current aviary. It's east facing and sheltered by the house and seems to work ok without. In the 7 years it has been in place, I have found maybe 5 wild bird droppings. I just hose them away... it's great having a hose in the aviary! And no, none of the birds have ever touched it - it's a wind up one that is attached to the wall so only the end sticks out.

This was it when it was first built. The double doors lead to the sitting room/bird room. It's built in the space between the conservatory and garage. The carpenter who built it, built exactly the same for the person who recommended him - he has Macaws. He built his with soft wood and has has very little chewing. Likely because the wire is attached to the inside of the wood:

View attachment 440242

The cross beams inside. I was using metal chain to hang the boings until they went rusty:

View attachment 440246

New decking as Ollie was chewing the old decking wood. New decking is hard wood (no more chewing!):

View attachment 440249

From inside the house. New aviary so nothing much in it yet:

View attachment 440260

JoeJoe eating bamboo:

View attachment 440254

This was the one in London. I hadn't put the corrugated plastic roof on it yet:

View attachment 440258

Hope that helps.

This is beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing. There’s a lot of great information I would have never considered, like the plastic roof disintegrating.

I would love to build something attached to my house but unfortunately that’s not possible because of a few things, including layout and electrical lines.

 

[Toy]

I would suggest a metal roof. We have a powder coated custom build aviary. We added a plastic roof, but had to take it down every winter to avoid damage. After a few years it got brittle & broke, so we put a metal roof on.

Our aviary is 6'Wx12'Lx7.5'H. We started with 4x4's on the ground & made a frame to set the aviary on. Over a few years the insects got into it. So we decided to pour a concrete frame to set the aviary on. We kept the grass inside the aviary, as my U2 is a jumper. She will jump from 7 feet & crash to the ground. Our birds also love ripping up the grass & digging holes. We have 4 water dishes, but do not feed outside due to food drawing bees. Our birds go out late morning or early afternoon, depending on the temp & weather. We bring them in late afternoon, so they get a good 4-6 hours outside.

We visited a breeder in OH years ago. He had several massive outside aviaries. All had grass inside & big tree branches for perches. The grass in the macaw aviary was 3 foot tall & had paths worn where the macaws walked thru it. His birds ranged in size from small to macaws. Part of each aviary was under roof, so they could get out of the sun & rain. The birds were taking outside early spring & brought in early fall. They spent all spring & summer outside. He had feeding stations & special water pipes set up for them.

If you are putting it in your yard & plan on it being there year around I'd suggest a cement frame & a metal roof.

This is a pic of our aviary. I can't find a pic with the cement frame & metal roof. We've add more toys, perches, etc since then.

 

[MnGuy]

I would suggest a metal roof. We have a powder coated custom build aviary. We added a plastic roof, but had to take it down every winter to avoid damage. After a few years it got brittle & broke, so we put a metal roof on.

Our aviary is 6'Wx12'Lx7.5'H. We started with 4x4's on the ground & made a frame to set the aviary on. Over a few years the insects got into it. So we decided to pour a concrete frame to set the aviary on. We kept the grass inside the aviary, as my U2 is a jumper. She will jump from 7 feet & crash to the ground. Our birds also love ripping up the grass & digging holes. We have 4 water dishes, but do not feed outside due to food drawing bees. Our birds go out late morning or early afternoon, depending on the temp & weather. We bring them in late afternoon, so they get a good 4-6 hours outside.

We visited a breeder in OH years ago. He had several massive outside aviaries. All had grass inside & big tree branches for perches. The grass in the macaw aviary was 3 foot tall & had paths worn where the macaws walked thru it. His birds ranged in size from small to macaws. Part of each aviary was under roof, so they could get out of the sun & rain. The birds were taking outside early spring & brought in early fall. They spent all spring & summer outside. He had feeding stations & special water pipes set up for them.

If you are putting it in your yard & plan on it being there year around I'd suggest a cement frame & a metal roof.

This is a pic of our aviary. I can't find a pic with the cement frame & metal roof. We've add more toys, perches, etc since then.
View attachment 440360

Thanks for all of the great advice! Your aviary looks great! Your parrots are very lucky!

 

[orphansparrow]

I’m watching this as I’m going to build an aviary for Duckie in the Spring. Where I live it’s really cold in the evenings, even in Summer, so this would be a day hangout place. I’m considering using this plan:

DIY Walk in Bird Aviary 8x16 Plans PDF - Etsy

This Patterns & Blueprints item by Construct101 has 250 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from United States. Listed on May 6, 2024

www.etsy.com

 

[AndyLisa]

Was browsing this forum and came across your post. I am actually half partner of the largest custom aviary builder in the Florida and this free advice is from years of experience:

- Did you build a second "shell"/protective layer of fencing around your aviary? If so, how many inches separate the inner and outer layers? Did weeds, grass, trees, etc. growing in between the layers become an issue? How did you deal with it?

If you use 1" 10 or 12 gauge wire mesh, you will not need a protective layer. Hawks and raccoons will not be able to reach in and grab your birds (1X1 inch should be the maximum mesh size). If the mesh is fastened solidly to the post, it will actually take a charging hit from a large size animal, like a fox or a wolf. Some people do use "pet screen" as a second shell (on the outside), but that is to keep mosquitoes out. The bottom of your cage should be framed anyway, so nothing should grow between 2 screens, if you chose to go that route.

- Did you bury fencing and if so, how deep and how far out from your aviary? I've read some recommendations that instead of burying a wire barrier to keep digging animals out, all you need is a 2-foot tall wood base for your aviary, with 1 foot buried underground and 1 foot above ground.

1 foot is not deep enough. Mice and snakes, and even dogs dig deeper than that. You will need at least 3 feet. Unless you use treated wood (which is bad for the birds), your wood barrier base will rot and have to be replaced every few years.

- How do you hang perches? Did you install beams to hang them from?

You can use "eye hooks" from either the roof, or roof beams, but they will swing in the wind. The other fixed option would be to screw the perches between the 2 mesh walls.

- How much damage have your parrots caused to the aviary?

Wood will always get chewed up. Flimsy metal also gets chewed up (even 16 gauge mesh will get destroyed given enough time). Our frame of choice is aluminium (similar to the ones you would use for your screen porch)

- Did you leave the ground as-is (grassy) or did you add a sand or concrete floor? How did your choice play out?

If the cage is near a water hose, composite decking or concrete is cleaner. If not, grass or play sand in recommended.
For the roof: I would suggest aluminium. Polycarbonate will disintegrate over time, but it takes years. Metal roofs rust after a while.

 

[orphansparrow]

Wow! @Fuzzy Thank you so much for sharing! I hadn't seen that before. Both are beautiful aviaries! Such lucky birdies!

 

[Jan]

By a second shell do you mean a "safety zone" so parrots can't escape? If so, yes. As AndyLisa above mentions above if you use 10 or 12 gauge wire then you would not need to have a protective layer as other animals can not get to your bird. Still, for many areas/locations I don't trust completely as hawks and other small wild animals can reach through the mesh if your parrot should be on the wire, the mesh especially should not be any wider than 1/2" if you have smaller birds. With 1"x1" mesh wild animals can pull the leg of a parrot through the mesh should parrot be on wire and injure their foot or leg even if they can not get the entire bird through the mesh.

For depth of wire in to soil at least a foot but so much depends on wildlife or other domestic animals in your area. On my Pionus breeder aviary I built years ago I have the front panel wire that is only buried into soil about 6-8" deep and nothing has ever bothered trying to dig in, my back area does have chain link fencing so not ever faced other dogs or coyotes in the yard. This mesh is 1/2"x1". There is no second layer of wire on the front. The metal flashing on the bottom helps to keep mice/rats from climbing up onto the mesh. This aviary is 36 feet long, you only see 1/2 of it from the view pic is taken.

 

[MnGuy]

Was browsing this forum and came across your post. I am actually half partner of the largest custom aviary builder in the Florida and this free advice is from years of experience:

- Did you build a second "shell"/protective layer of fencing around your aviary? If so, how many inches separate the inner and outer layers? Did weeds, grass, trees, etc. growing in between the layers become an issue? How did you deal with it?

If you use 1" 10 or 12 gauge wire mesh, you will not need a protective layer. Hawks and raccoons will not be able to reach in and grab your birds (1X1 inch should be the maximum mesh size). If the mesh is fastened solidly to the post, it will actually take a charging hit from a large size animal, like a fox or a wolf. Some people do use "pet screen" as a second shell (on the outside), but that is to keep mosquitoes out. The bottom of your cage should be framed anyway, so nothing should grow between 2 screens, if you chose to go that route.

- Did you bury fencing and if so, how deep and how far out from your aviary? I've read some recommendations that instead of burying a wire barrier to keep digging animals out, all you need is a 2-foot tall wood base for your aviary, with 1 foot buried underground and 1 foot above ground.

1 foot is not deep enough. Mice and snakes, and even dogs dig deeper than that. You will need at least 3 feet. Unless you use treated wood (which is bad for the birds), your wood barrier base will rot and have to be replaced every few years.

- How do you hang perches? Did you install beams to hang them from?

You can use "eye hooks" from either the roof, or roof beams, but they will swing in the wind. The other fixed option would be to screw the perches between the 2 mesh walls.

- How much damage have your parrots caused to the aviary?

Wood will always get chewed up. Flimsy metal also gets chewed up (even 16 gauge mesh will get destroyed given enough time). Our frame of choice is aluminium (similar to the ones you would use for your screen porch)

- Did you leave the ground as-is (grassy) or did you add a sand or concrete floor? How did your choice play out?

If the cage is near a water hose, composite decking or concrete is cleaner. If not, grass or play sand in recommended.
For the roof: I would suggest aluminium. Polycarbonate will disintegrate over time, but it takes years. Metal roofs rust after a while.

Thank you for all of this great information!

 

[Hinzfamily]

….

I am actually half partner of the largest custom aviary builder in the Florida and this free advice is from years of experience:

…..

Do you travel outside of Florida to build aviaries? I am looking to build an outdoor Aviary in South Carolina.