Hi everyone,

I have just "inherited" an aviary that came with 10 budgies, a pair of tiels and a pair of quails.

I got it from the lady over the road who used grit on the bottom, so after 10 wheelbarrow loads full the bottom is covered in grit.

Now, after reading the posts on here it seems I need a cement floor!

Do I have to have cement or is the grit okay?

 

Debbie

The problem with not having a solid base in a aviary is that mice will dig under the sides and get into the aviary.

Edited January 18, 200916 yr by deb

No you don't need cement floors, my aviaries have been sand up for over 3 years and I have not had 1 mouse in there yet and I am just cementing mine now and that is because I am hoping it is easier to clean, sweep, vacuum and hose as to a sand floor you can't really wet as you can't get all the seed off the floor.

Speaking as someone who HAS had rodents ( rats ) dig into my soil floor aviaries and kill birds I would say your soft floor aviaries will only last so long without incidents like mine depending on where you are and where the roidents are and how smart they are at trying to get at the birds. I also have a friend who lost her entire aviary of budgies and babies in nests to a fox who dug in.

By grit, do you mean sand ?

Edited January 18, 200916 yr by KAZ

Hi Kaz,

It is not sand, more like a fine gravel, heavier than sand. The quails love "bathing" in it!

The lady I got it from has only ever used this grit for over 30 years.

I have paved around the outside where I can get to and the side against the fence has pavers inside, under the grit. Hopefully, between and my ever watchful puppy, we should be rodent free!

My aviaries have a very coarse sand and Greg put cement around the outside of the whole aviary so it would be near impossible for a dog or fox not that we have foxes digging under but mice could if they were smart enough.

I have chosen to cement mine but Greg is against.

There is a wire called

Snake and Mouse or Mice and Snake wire it is perfect ti use on the bottom of the aviary as nothing can dig under or get in ...

 

It may be a pain in the but to redo but worth it in the long run ...

 

I too have had Mice and rats in my aviaries I had villaboard floors, Timber floors and pavers the best thing I found was that wire it is a little more expensive then normal aviary wire but save a lot of birds

 

Best o luck