I still have the breeding bug - it will not subside either!!

so today i had a massive burst of energy and I completely cleared out our small shed which has been storing useless junk for the last year.

 

The shed was used by the previous owners as a kennel for their two large dogs. it measures 180cm tall, by 140cm wide, by 180cm deep. It has a paved floor and rodent proof (smooth tin) cladding inside that goes 3 feet up the walls - it also has power

 

I will post pictures tomorrow - It was too dark by the time i finished today

 

I have read Daz's fantastic topic on bird rooms and found it very helpful, thanks Daz ---> Here

 

I have a few added questions though....

 

1) is the size suitable for 2-3 cabinets?

2) What is best way to provide ventilation? - I want to keep the warmth in, but also keep the air fresh.

3) Also what is the best way to provide light - i was thinking of replacing some tin with clear plastic sheets to allow natural light - or is it better to use broad spectrum lights???

4) Do i need to heat in the winter - if so what kind of heating???

 

 

Any advice and tips are greatly appreciated

Edited June 18, 200816 yr by **Liv**

I still have the breeding bug - it will not subside either!!

so today i had a massive burst of energy and I completely cleared out our small shed which has been storing useless junk for the last year.

 

The shed was used by the previous owners as a kennel for their two large dogs. it measures 180cm tall, by 140cm wide, by 180cm deep. It has a paved floor and rodent proof (smooth tin) cladding inside that goes 3 feet up the walls - it also has power

 

I will post pictures tomorrow - It was too dark by the time i finished today

 

I have read Daz's fantastic topic on bird rooms and found it very helpful, thanks Daz ---> Here

 

I have a few added questions though....

 

1) is the size suitable for 2-3 cabinets?

2) What is best way to provide ventilation? - I want to keep the warmth in, but also keep the air fresh.

3) Also what is the best way to provide light - i was thinking of replacing some tin with clear plastic sheets to allow natural light - or is it better to use broad spectrum lights???

4) Do i need to heat in the winter - if so what kind of heating???

 

 

Any advice and tips are greatly appreciated

Great plan Liv. Ill bet you are excited about planning this now. The size is great and you could even fit more breeding cages in than you have asked about depending on size of breeder cages and how you set it all out. Your fluoro lights will be fine....its all I use and my birds breed well. Clear sheets on the roof can add heat in summer but the light it lets in is good. You could cover it with shade cloth in summer also.

Heat wont matter if you choose to rest birds during winter and not breed, any kind of heating can dry out eggs and cause issues.

Ventilation can be acchieved if you can open the door and have a second meshed door inside. One of my areas has this and I got a lightweight flyscreen door from a junkyard and hinged it inside the existing door. So I open the main door and then latch the meshed door. Other than that you may want to fit a window in somewhere if not already for crossflow ventilation. Allow room for a water filled air cooler for summer if you breed in summer.

 

and have fun planning it all

Sound good. Glad I could have helped..

 

 

This was the breeding cabinets when I started. It measured 1200 x 1200 (roughly)

It was set up in the pergola.

 

 

The flight was on the outside of the shed.

 

I eventually moved everything into the shed and cut through the wall to make the flight bigger.

Thanks so much Kaz and Daz

 

Here it is

 

 

It is quite sheltered as it has a fence on 2 sides, and its about 80cm from the side of our house too. As i said it has been storing junk which has included boxes of the kids old clothes and toys - it has kept it dry for a year and the clothes are not musty etc

 

The pavers at the bottom show a touch of moisture (from the soil underneath), but otherwise it's leak proof

 

My daughter Abby, thinks it would make a MUCH better cubby house

 

I believe the tin cladding was put there to stop the dogs chewing the sides of the shed.

The lights are not installed, but my hubby's dad is an electrition and will only take a moment to do as the power is already there

 

 

 

I don't have any cabinets, and i don't think i would be able to get anything as flash as Daz's cabinet apartment block hehe.

 

I will probably use wire breeding/flight cages, stacked on one another. I have a table that will fit in there so i can keep them off the ground. I will need to work out a way to attach the nest boxes firmly on the outside of the cages.

 

I like the screen door idea - thanks Kaz

 

I am bursting to breed BG and Lady - they are my first club pair and they will be my first cabinet pair too. I am very excited

 

:budgiedance::budgiedance::budgiedance:

You will need to put in a window.

 

 

 

 

 

Cut through with a 4" grinder with a metal cutting wheel.

Frame with aluminum "U" Channel. Bunnings will have it.

 

Then frame inside that with Aluminum angle and then the mesh.

Edited June 18, 200816 yr by Daz

Great! Thanks Daz! I will get my hubby on to that job - noisy power tools freak me out :budgiedance:

The window will have to do on the side the faces the house as the shed is too close to the fence - we don't have neighbors on that fence either :budgiedance: .

Liv looks like a great start! I want one! I want to convert my garage when I get to the point of having more then two pairs my only issu is natural light I am thinking I am going to have toput a window in the back door. My other theory is to convince my sister to let me convert 1/2 of it into a gym/living room and the other half to a breeding room.... maybe I should just ask for a shed instead! :budgiedance:

Good luck with your garage AV sounds like a great plan. :budgiedance:

A shed is good too and it has an added bonus that you can take it with you if you move)

 

We have a bigger shed which my hubby said i can have when we have finished the garage - Its about 3mx3m but i am taking baby steps and don't want to get in over my head :budgiedance:

Baby steps are a good Idea. My Issue is that I could spend A lot of money converting the garage and then decide that I really don't want to breed budgies after all. I have the bug now but untill it has been around a few years I am going to take it slow. I might see about setting up some more breeding cages in a small outside sheet and just keeping the indoor cages for the older birds during winter.

 

ETA - Sweet kid LOVE the prision PJs.

Edited June 19, 200816 yr by Angelic Vampyre

ETA - Sweet kid LOVE the prision PJs.

 

haha Thanks!! She is a rascal - The Bonds PJ's only come in stripes for some reason, but she has them in pink, red and she was modeling the purple ones today :hap:

Oh I love them, the little boy I look after that is pretty much all he wore for the first two years, they wash and dry so well and just keep going and going!

 

It also suited him cause he was/is a little crimminal!

Um... I vote NO for a cubby house!!! (sorry Abby ). Recently Dave bought some breeding/holding cages with stands off the internet. JJ Aviaries I'm not sure what the deal is with postage, but I'm sure something could be arranged... or check Ebay (I love that place). Good luck with it all. I'm so excited for you

Good luck Liv! I totally know what you mean about the impatience of it all. I was so impatient, I just put some breeding cabinets in my spare room/junk room wherever I could fit them. Adam and I spent the weekend clearing it out again though and things are much neater in there now. I have 4 complete cabinets and a flight cage with a nest box in at the moment and put 4 new pairs of birds down just yesterday. I had an "expert" from our club come to pair up my birds and he looks only for qualities and faults in their heads and size. So Adonis has had a new partner chosen for him I am a little disappointed, I know at the end of the day, it's my decision what I do with my birds, but I suppose I would be silly to ignore the advice of someone with more experience and knowledge than myself.

 

New projects are always so exciting. I hope you get all set up asap

Just a quick update as spring races towards us.

 

The last 2 days i have spent my time planning, shopping for and building these sliding doors for my bird room

They slide neatly to the sides as i dont have room for a swing door. They are covered with 6mm x 6mm mesh and sit hard against the inside of the door opening so rodents cant get in

I am still to add the custom made C channel at the bottom for the doors sit in - it's still being made

 

Edited August 7, 200816 yr by **Liv**

Awsome doors. I was wondering how it was going. I LOVE building things!!!

Awsome doors. I was wondering how it was going. I LOVE building things!!!

Thanks Maesie. I love working with wood and i love building stuff too - it's relaxing, especially when it goes to plan

Awsome doors. I was wondering how it was going. I LOVE building things!!!

Thanks Maesie. I love working with wood and i love building stuff too - it's relaxing, especially when it goes to plan

 

Agree about things going to plan... if they don't everyone knows not to ask me how it's going as they know they'll cop an ear full... I get really angry :devil: . I like the fact I can design, plan and bulid things myself and then be proud of what I have built.

Awsome doors. I was wondering how it was going. I LOVE building things!!!

Thanks Maesie. I love working with wood and i love building stuff too - it's relaxing, especially when it goes to plan

 

Agree about things going to plan... if they don't everyone knows not to ask me how it's going as they know they'll cop an ear full... I get really angry :devil: . I like the fact I can design, plan and bulid things myself and then be proud of what I have built.

 

I completely relate with everything you said

Edited August 7, 200816 yr by **Liv**

Thats terrific Liv and a great idea as you can oipen it up in summer to ventilate I have a similar plan for mine withb steel security doors inside the main two doors that open.

 

Good to see your progression.

That's terrific Liv and a great idea as you can open it up in summer to ventilate I have a similar plan for mine with steel security doors inside the main two doors that open.

 

Good to see your progression.

 

Thanks Kaz... Slowly by surly am getting there...

Double sliding doors; where on earth would i have gotten that idea

 

Next is a window. the same way Daz did his

Do i put the window high up? Oh, and what about drafts?? Wont it be drafty with a window??

Looks awesome Liv. FANTASTIC JOB!!

Lookin good Liv!!

Next is a window. the same way Daz did his

Do i put the window high up? Oh, and what about drafts?? Wont it be drafty with a window??

 

With tools and as clever as you are, you should be able to make as set of shutters that close off the window from rain and draughts I think

Alternatively a sliding window that opens ( meshed over ) for cross ventilation in the heat of summer.

A breeder I know has fitted the old fashioned louvre windows to his breeding room with a mesh cover.

Next is a window. the same way Daz did his

Do i put the window high up? Oh, and what about drafts?? Wont it be drafty with a window??

 

With tools and as clever as you are, you should be able to make as set of shutters that close off the window from rain and draughts I think

Alternatively a sliding window that opens ( meshed over ) for cross ventilation in the heat of summer.

A breeder I know has fitted the old fashioned louvre windows to his breeding room with a mesh cover.

 

Thanks Kaz

I will update when it is done

Looks great Liv, you've done a fantastic job, very professional.