Hi all.

 

I am planning to build my new aviary, I have been maybe 15yrs out of breeding budgies, and loving things like these forums, which didn't exist last time I bred budgies.

 

I would like to both ask some questions, as well as document my build for future reference to those looking to do the same. Obviously there are basic requirements that every aviary/bird room needs. I find those to be ample room for flight, separation of sexes in flight, and a bird room with enough room for breeding cages and stock/young cages. With this in mind, I always return to the same deign, but I'm not sure its the best.

 

I am a bricklayer by trade, so I can build my own room from scratch using brick, so I am mainly concerned with my design to start. My usual design consists of a bird room, around 3m x 3m, which will house the breeding cages and a small cage of about 600w x 500d x 1200h for young before introducing them to the main flights.

 

I would usually leave 1 wall of this bird room as wire, with doors leading to the 2 separated flight areas. The flight areas would consist of 2/3 of the roof being covered (colourbond), and the remaining 1/3 being wire roof. The last 1/3 would be wire outer walls.

 

My first main question would be, should the bit room that houses the breeding cages be more closed and protected? Should the flight areas be more closed and protected? I am in Munrubem, so summers get hot, winters will see frost and cold westerlies, but some clear blinds could be used for wind protection.

 

I'll try and put up a diagram of the design I am talking about, to better help explain my questions.

Edited March 24, 201411 yr by Finnie

Well for starters make sure that the flight and bird room are snake, rat and all those kind of critters proof. Then make sure that there is a system that you could make that let's you cover them in winter and in summer just make sure the sun cannot cover them to the point when they can't get out of the sun. Allow for shade and perhaps add a window (only small) for wind to travel through the sides to allow for cooling. If you take these into account you could have a very efficient aviary that can cope with all seasons.

Thanks mate, I'll definitely take those things into account.

 

Sorry for the double post, and for some of thos bad typos. I always get a lot of typos on the iPad

Sounds like a great plan. Are you going into show birds or pet types? Does your 3x3 room include your flights or are they separate extending off room?

Mine really love getting out in fully wired flight, love it in rain or sun.

Here is a floor plan of what I have planned. I will run power to the bird room for a power outlet and lighting. How important is night lighting for the birds? I will also have a floor drain in each of the flight areas as well as the bird room, and Im thinking a sink with running water, but that depends on space. At the very least I will have a tap with another drain beneath it.

 

Robyn, thank you for your interest I plan on trying to buy some nice birds to start off with. I have only every done pet grade with my Dad when I was younger, but I wouldnt mind trying to get into more of a show range now. Perhaps I will even do both.

 

Of course any comments are welcome on the design. Anything that will help me improve it would be fantastic. What would you have in your perfect aviary or bird room?

Edited June 2, 201311 yr by witherd1

That looks amazing!!!

Looks great. I would be great to build one using bricks.

 

Brett

Wow, looks like one very nice aviary coming up.

Hope you can get it done without any hitch's e.g. council regs. etc they seem to be different from council to council state to state.

If your a brickie I suppose you know that already l.o.l. Good luck with it.

Add pics as you go as clues for others doing an aviary.

I can hardly wait to see pics of this project. My father was a bricklayer till he became a contractor. Most bricklayers can do any job on a construction site, so I bet you're going to have a nice aviary.

 

I don't know much about making aviaries. I myself would like to make something for a window so the birds can land there and get some sun. I don't want them to chew on the screen or get contact with other birds that land on the windowsill. I know I have to take into consideration the type of wire mesh, some are toxic to birds. Maybe others know more about what kind of mesh is safe too.

That looks amazing, have you got any photos we all love photos here

Thanks guys.

 

Unfortunately the bad weather in Brisbane has held up progress a little, and I had to sidetrack to another job of adding in some drainage around the yard, cos it's always a mud pit. The plus side of this was, though, that I got to put in the drainage pipe for the aviary at the same time.

 

So, some progress shots, though not much so far...

 

First one here is the picture of the site for the aviary:

The trees will be cut down.

 

Second is a progress shot, clearing the area, including the fence:

 

Next one is a pick of the drains going in:

 

And another of the start of the footings:

These still need to be dug wider and deeper, but its currently too wet.

 

So while the weather has been ordinary, I have been also working in the garage, starting my breeding cages:

I've been making these out of left over materials I got from work, so I've pretty much just made the sizes work by joining things together where I would normally have run a sheet of board right through.

 

Also, because I'm on a pretty tight budget, here is a picture of how I have done the trays for the bottom of the breeding cages:

Because I can't afford sheet metal to do metal trays, I have done it with chipboard, with an edging, and bought a tub of waterproofing (black seal), which is rated for potable water. Heaps cheaper, and should work okay.

 

All in all, I'm getting there. I'll keep working on the breeding cages while the weather is bad. Next on the list for outside is to dig the footings wider, put the steel in and pour the footings. Once they are done, I will do a brick base, which will be filled with dirt, then plastic, then steel, to take the slab. The idea of doing a brick base instead of boxing it, is simply due to the very uneven ground in the position I chose.

I'm excited to watch your progress I enjoy seeing how people build their aviaries!

Is chipboard okay to use with budgies, I heard it has glue in it? The progress looks good though. Looks like you have been working hard.

I haven't caught up for a while but looks like a great area for your aviary, should nearly be a bushland setting when your finished.

Phoebes, I used chipboard and craft wood last time I bred budgies about 15yrs ago, and they were fine. All board has glue in them, ply as well, though granted, not as much as chipboard and craft wood (mdf).

I haven't posted in a little while, but I have been busy. I have the aviary almost to slab stage. Because the ground is so out of level, I had to do a brick base for the slab, so I poured the footings, did the base, and Ive put in the pipes for drains. Now I just need to fill it with dirt, before I can put in the steel and box it up to pour the slab. Might take me a few weeks to get that done yet, as I started a new job and Ill be working every second weekend. Anyway, check out the pics below.

 

 

 

Great looking start Witherd1, hope it's not to long before you get the rest up and running.

Hi folks.

Clearly its been quite some time since I added anything here. Unfortunately progress was quite slow for some time, but recently I've managed to get a bit done, and now the slab is done. It is now ready for brickwork, I have a sink ready for the bird room, and some connections on the nearby water tap, ready to run water into it. Also, while I was not able to get outside to work on it today, due to stuff to do most of the day, I did get in the garage this afternoon for a couple of hours to make some feed hoppers for the aviaries. I built these from memory, my Dad made these when I was a kid, and I think I did pretty well from memory. Photos below.

 

 

And the feed hopper...

 

 

Will keep you updated with the progress when it happens.

Looks like it is slowly coming along well witherd, are you able to post instructions on how to make the seed hopper? Looks like a good design and I wouldn't mind trying it out.

How do you go about getting rid of the empty husks from the seeds?

 

Thanks

Looking great mate. I look forward to seeing the progress.

Thanks guys.

 

Unfortunately the bad weather in Brisbane has held up progress a little, and I had to sidetrack to another job of adding in some drainage around the yard, cos it's always a mud pit. The plus side of this was, though, that I got to put in the drainage pipe for the aviary at the same time.

 

So, some progress shots, though not much so far...

 

First one here is the picture of the site for the aviary:

The trees will be cut down.

 

Second is a progress shot, clearing the area, including the fence:

 

Next one is a pick of the drains going in:

 

And another of the start of the footings:

These still need to be dug wider and deeper, but its currently too wet.

 

So while the weather has been ordinary, I have been also working in the garage, starting my breeding cages:

I've been making these out of left over materials I got from work, so I've pretty much just made the sizes work by joining things together where I would normally have run a sheet of board right through.

 

Also, because I'm on a pretty tight budget, here is a picture of how I have done the trays for the bottom of the breeding cages:

Because I can't afford sheet metal to do metal trays, I have done it with chipboard, with an edging, and bought a tub of waterproofing (black seal), which is rated for potable water. Heaps cheaper, and should work okay.

 

All in all, I'm getting there. I'll keep working on the breeding cages while the weather is bad. Next on the list for outside is to dig the footings wider, put the steel in and pour the footings. Once they are done, I will do a brick base, which will be filled with dirt, then plastic, then steel, to take the slab. The idea of doing a brick base instead of boxing it, is simply due to the very uneven ground in the position I chose.

Hi there, make sure that any seal you decide to use will not be toxic to the birds if they decide to nibble at it. On the upside it looks great what you are doing.

Budgie Lover, I can post up instructions, just give me some time, as I have a lot on right now, but feel free to remind me if I forget in the next week or so.

 

So, the last two days have been the last two days of my holidays, and got a bit done...

 

Mainly concentrating on getting the brickwork done right now, but my wife reminded me before I began, that the trees needed to come down, so we did that too, which you'll notice in the pics..

 

Day 1:

 

Day 2:

 

 

 

 

It's starting to take shape, I hope to get some more done on the weekend.

Coming together nicely withered.

Wow what a fantastic structure withered. I am really enjoying this post. I am yet to make a start on my birdroom but I unfortunately dont have your skills so I will achieve nothing so sophisticated. But yours is very inpirational. Thanks for sharing!

Looking awesome mate....good work.

I would love to build a large brick one as well.