Hi Guys, I am so worried, My budgies every night sit on the wire outside - they are open to the weather and with the rain around recently I have to every night go out and move them one by one (their are 32) back under the shelter - it is a large aviary and goes in fairly deep - I have put a night light in the back as I figured they maybe scared because it is so dark in the shelter but this has made no difference. Once I put them in they don't fly back out. It is frustrating and becoming a nuisance. They dont act scared and during the day they happily play at the back of the aviary so I don't know what is causing their behaviour. When I put them in at night they will be wet and consequently cant fly away from me. Here is a couple of pics to show you where they sit and a picture of them in the aviary - as you can see the aviary doesn't go back that deep it is a 2.4 metre square aviary.

 

Please tell me how I can fix this problem!!

 

Very worried Mum - Andrea

 

Below are two pics - the first is to show you where the birds are perching - notice all are outside - none are under cover! Has anyone else had this problem?

 

The next picture is to show you the two feint lights - one is garden solar light - doesn't admit much more than a glow - in this picture it is on. The second one I have also circled because it is on and it is a LED light - low voltage and doesn't admit more than a ghostly glow either - just enough so the birds don't run into the wire. I only turn that light inside on when I put them back to bed at about 10pm at night otherwise it isn't on - so I am wondering whether that is the problem. Should I tin the whole roof than I wouldn't have this problem s they would be under shelter always? Why we left it is because when it rains the budgies love the rain... it is also good for them to get some sun... What are your thoughts?

 

Please answer ASAP so I can get this solved.

 

My deepest thanks

 

 

 

Interesting, I see Bubbles is reading this topic so she would know more than I, but maybe you should turn the inside light on earlier, instead of when you put them to bed at 10... [shrugs] just a thought

My aviaries have low voltage lights in them like yours but ours stay on all night. It helps.

Some budgies hang off the wire on the front of the aviary if there is a light shining nearby. I have, on my smaller aviaries like the size of yours, some roller blinds made from cane (matchstick blinds they are

called )....we drop them down at night. It gives shelter from winds and rain and predators like cats. With the roller blinds down the budgies don't usually hang off the front. Also with more and better perches up high, the budgies will stay in the areas they are supposed to. They love to be in tight corners and up at the roofline.

I know what you mean about the budgies loving the rain, and I have had some budgies who stayed out in the rain all night as well. I was so worried initially and did what you do too. But they survived a rainy night or two alright and I guess thats what budgies do in the wild anyway. You may possibly want to look at changing some things in the back of the aviary. Some reasons they wont go back there is due to the territorial situation you have happening due to the line up of nesting boxes. Each pair that has a nesting box protects the space around it. The nesting boxes are very close together so you would have some form of territorial stuff going on there. After a few times of driving away someone getting too close to their space, the "invader" wont want to keep going back there. If their only sheltered spot is a nesting site, you may have a problem. Changing the positions of the nesting boxes may be an option also.

Alternatively you need to sort out a shelter for the roof, and if it means you have to have something you can occasionally remove, then that would be okay. We have pop up outdoor shelters over the smaller aviaries ( like yours )...the kind on poles with a waterproof top. They are handy both for bad weather and for too much sun. You could get some old type "roller blinds" the kind they have for windows and drape them across the top of the aviary. Hope this has been of some help.

Cheers karen

Edited January 11, 200718 yr by Bubbles

It s rare to find open roofs on Aviaries for show breeding. Mostly because the wild birds can do their droppings into the aviary and spreed desease. Anyother reason is the wire used is usually galvanised and the rain washes the lead and zinc into the aviary floor where the birds drink it with the results being heavy metal posioning. I would perminantly cover the roof of the aviary and introduce a low voltage fountain to cool the birds. That way you can control what is in the water. I would add Avicleans to the water at the recommended dose to stop bacteria and algie forming.

The other thing I thought of (adding to Bubbles ideas) is to move the front perch down so that the highest is the one is at the back under cover. I have a few that settle in for the night griping the wire in the corners. Very silly birds they are sometimes.

Another thought may be to pop a sheet of perspex (see through) plastic over the top... Then they get some sun too.. May be you could build 2 aluminium channels either side and then slide it on and off.. Just a thought anyway... Hope the babies don't get cold in the rain!

 

:hap: