Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 3:06 pm Post subject: aviary design/position
I'm thinking about building an aviary to house the 2 kaks i have at the moment [if i do i might get a couple more], the problem i have is i have a very small garden which is north facing so the sheltered corner next to the house where i want to place it does not get any direct sun light in the winter months. will it be ok there? i've read up on construction, safety doors, shelter, mesh size etc, its just the positioning i'm not sure about.
Hi Jim
Im no expert, as i have my first avairy this year. I thought i would tell you my mistakes, as what i have learned works, as time went on.
I bought mine, without a roof, so that was the first thing i needed. I know now its really important to have the safety porch, and im working on that.
Thought i would rather have more room for the birds at the time!
The kaks love the rat tubes i have hung up, and the ferret playtubes. Wood perches go horrible very quickly, so im changing to rope, and plastic. A kickboard all around keeps the mess in, and no i have not got one! another thing for me to do.
I have a large plastic tub for food, with a lid and hole, this works well, as they have no problem going in and out.
My avairy is against a wall, but also has a house wall for shelter, it still gets wet anyway. Ive clad one end with the main box, so they have compleate shelter one end if they want it.
Ive a concreate floor, and being the messyest birds in the world..bless em! i cant say its the best floor for easy maintenance. Ive only got two kaks outside, (and 4 budgies) but you would think i have 22 at the end of the week
I've already read-up about the design, and hopefully i wont have as many problems as you have had. I'm going to build it myself so i will be able to build in all the necessary features rather than retrofit them. I know I will still make a couple of mistakes, but hopefully small ones.
I'm still in the design stage at the moment, I wont start building until the weather is a lot warmer. Size is the problem at the moment I am still in negotiations with her indoors about how big I can have it. Mind you she likes the birds as much as I do.
North..Nth hemisphere....thats your cold side...
Even if you can design so the sun hits a inside corner for a few hrs is far better than them not getting any at all...
I have 1 flight a little like that...placed a perch in the ara and they all line up in the sun for a couple hrs each day
Also consider the cold prevailing winds, u dont want them goibng straight into the avairy, or at lease create an area that they can get out of it. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Hi Steps,
where I am thinking of putting it is very sheltered, in a corner formed by the house wall and a 7 foot high solid fence. but from late October to mid march this area does not get any direct sun, it is the only place in the garden that is protected from the wind during the winter months.
With very good diets u can get around the no sun issue...
We have friends who breed very senistive parrot species, they have a area built into the flight with heat/sun lamps...I dont think those extemes would be reqired, kakariki are very hardy, and are not a 'tropical' species.
They do live in wild wild where there is snow.
There is another very old thread somewhere that talks about weather
Its best to mention seasons rather than months...u guys are the other way around in the nth hemisphere _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
We had a bit of confustion in the early says of the site so,I coded into the site so when ppl 1st regist, they have to select country...this appears under names in each post...
Also the Nuke weather block to the left covers 10s of 1000s of towns and cities around the world for current 10 day weather forcasts (updated every 2hrs)...If a members city (opitional when regist on the site and can be added in ones profile) is added, this also helps.
I see this....but many dont know this is there, so seasons is a good idea.
Right now we have posts where ppl are having problems with hot summer temps and others the opposte _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
I think it would be better to protect them from the winds and cold, and just have a few sunny days. My Avairy is a little like that too, but after the winds and rain we have had , im glad its there.
I missed the good summer months this year, and this aera gets sun in the mornings, if i see they are really missing it, i could always put them in a sunny spot for a while, in a cage.
I was thinking of trying a solar powered light just outside, and a daylight/uv bulb. The ones that react to movement, would stay on a while. There should be enough sun in the mornings to power it for the afternoon.
Thats a good idea...why movement thu?
If it is what they need then they will use it when its on....If they dont need it they will not use it
Thats what they do with the sun....
Then the power is run out of the night, and they get normal sleep _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
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