My partner and I built an aviary last week. The birds haven't gone in yet, hoping to get them in either today or tomorrow. There are only two of them, and they currently live in a cage in our patio area.

 

Here are the photos:

 

http://mykewlphotos.com/chapter.php?id=61&album_id=10

 

Total cost: about $350. That includes the concrete.

Well done....what a lovely job

Thanks:) I am pleased with it. I never thought it would look this good when finished, and a lot of that is thanks to my partner because he's such a perfectionist and will re-do anything until it looks perfect, even if it means the construction takes twice as long.. My partner's dad told us it looks professionally made, so we are kind of proud of that:)

You will need a safety door area.............this can be acchieved by hanging a net over the door so you can go in and out without losing birds.......try anf find one of those long nets on hoops popular for hanging over kids beds...attach it to the top over the door and step through into the netted area, then into your birds.....when not in use throw it up on top of the aviary.

 

Lovely painted job, BUT the birds will chew all that painted wood.

If they chew all the paint off, how do most people solve the problem of using untreated wood? If it's not painted it will rot...

Not sure, is it non-toxic paint?

Yes, the paint is heavy metal free, so it should be perfectly safe. But if they pick it off the wood will rot, unless I constantly paint over exposed wood.

Congratulations lil-fuzzy ! I especially like your album and how you have set it out ~ Very Nice!

Lovely aviary great job, we use red gum or hard wood birds can't chew through that and it doesn't rot easy, I don't paint my wood.

Your aviry is very nice and spacious, I agree with the safety door though but if you cant make one even though they are quite simple to make you could always put fly stoppers and hang them from the door. okay Fly stoppers are those things lol that hang at your door so no flys can get in, you could cut it to size and just hang it inside the door.

If they chew all the paint off, how do most people solve the problem of using untreated wood? If it's not painted it will rot...

 

 

Is there no roofing ?

Thanks:)

 

There is a roof, but the bottom of it will still get wet when it rains, and when it rains sideways the sides will get wet too.

Thanks:)

 

There is a roof, but the bottom of it will still get wet when it rains, and when it rains sideways the sides will get wet too.

 

You cannot have rain getting in anywhere in your aviary as dampness can cause coccidiosis. If you are worried about the base wood rotting then you can get thick rubber belting from rubber places to put between the bottom wooden rail and the concrete base......make it just as wide as the wood.

Also a roof that overlaps enough so rain doesnt get in OR one of those plastic pergolas from Bunnings or hardware stores so its protected during rainy weather. You will need shade and rain protection if its not under cover.

Edited January 19, 201015 yr by KAZ

Kaz' ideas shoud help you to keep it from rotting, but also, the areas you are concerned about will not really be accessible to the budgies chewing (i.e. the outsides), so your paint job should last better in those spots than in the spots that get chewed.

 

It looks like you painted before assembly, so does that mean you painted the underneath side of the frame, the part that sits on the concrete? That should help a little.

 

There are lots of posts by member in the aviary section about how they weather proof their aviaries.

 

Your set up looks very nice. I wish I could have an outdoor aviary.

Thanks:)

 

Yes everthing was painted before we put it together, to prevent it all rotting.

 

I have updated the album with photos of the birds in the aviary. I don't think I will need anything to cover the door, because they are very tolerant of my presence and just sit and look at me whenever I go in there.

I have updated the album with photos of the birds in the aviary. I don't think I will need anything to cover the door, because they are very tolerant of my presence and just sit and look at me whenever I go in there.

When one of them does fly away you will rue the day ... It only takes an unforeseen outside event, like a big bird flying by, for them to scatter.

Edited January 21, 201015 yr by renee

Birds can't fly by, the whole backyard is enclosed by catnetting, and they can't see anything above them because of the roof:)

 

So even if they did get out, it would take them a while to figure out how to get through the catnetting.

Edited January 21, 201015 yr by lil_fuzzy

Birds can't fly by, the whole backyard is enclosed by catnetting, and they can't see anything above them because of the roof:)

 

So even if they did get out, it would take them a while to figure out how to get through the catnetting.

 

 

That's pretty cool, you whole yard is like a safety door! :grouphug: