I'm looking to build an aviary when my house is finished, and I have some requirements that pretty much rule out the Absco aviaries common to bunnings and the like, such as a roof that is taller than me, a door that is taller than me, and an airlock.

 

Now, last time I had an aviary my father built it from treated pine. I don't think I need to tell anyone how that worked out. I know better now, but only so much as not to use woods treated with arsenic or other such deadly chemicals. So what is a good wood (some kind of hardwood?) and if needed, a type of sealer or treatment, given that I know the budgies will chew on it.

 

I had considered metal, but I don't know anything about working with metal posts or anything.

My husbands parrot avairy is made with treated pine posts and none of his parrots chew on it. My budgie aviary was also made with treated pine posts and none of my budgies chewed on it. If you check my aviary topic you will see my new smaller aviary right now being built is using some of the treated pine poles also. BUT I am using some recycled aviary mesh to wrap the poles just in case. There will be no poles available to chew but the poles can still be used for the structure.

Edited January 4, 200916 yr by KAZ

Aspen is a hard wood that has no fumes and is recommended for wood shavings in pet cages because of the abscense of fumes.

I agree that treated pine would be okay provided it cant be chewed. Aged/recycled wood, would probably be even safer. I was talking to a bloke in mitre 10 a while back and he says they don't treat wood with arsenic like they used to, and he claims that the new method to be non toxic (for kids that is though) .

 

I make all my play gyms and toys out of normal pine.

I think Oregon is a good outdoors timber. It is actually a softwood, but much harder than pine. Our outdoor area is built from that and western red cedar, but all the wrc is all under cover.

Yeah the new treated pine is apparently even okay for builing raised vegie gardens(which the old wasn't of course)