Outdoor aviary.. dooable?

[MiloMacaw]

This will be a big project- something I have been thinking about for months. I am just brainstorming here so if you have suggestions please feel free to shout them out!

I have this space that has been begging to be turned into an aviary. Every time I look at it, I see a possibility for an aviary. Let me explain!

I have a large 650 square foot building that is heated/insulated etc next to my house that was used when I ran my 501c3 animal rescue (that I have since closed down) attached to that is a smaller shed that was used to store petfood in. attached to that shed, is a dog lot- concrete floor, 4ft high chainlink fence, and an overhand that is about..4 feet by 6 feet I would say. The overhang is slightly sloped to allow water runoff, tiled and treated wood, and it is held up by two 2x4 posts of treated wood that are sunk into the concrete of the dog lot. (I will take pictures of this whole space later and post them)

What I would LIKE to do, what I see in my head, is the create an aviary under the overhang. That would require building a roof under the overhang so that the birds could not get to the treated wood- wrapping the posts in big thick manilla rope so they could not get to the treated wood, and then building a large square cage out of some sort of wire (Suggestions?)
and attaching it to the side of the shed and wrapping it around the rope protected posts.

As I mentioned before the run is standard chainlink. Is it possible to use any of that for two large macaws, or should I scrap it and build from scratch? The overhang is the part I would really like to take advantage of since it offers shade and protection if a sudden rain crops up.

I am also thinking, since the shed is pretty much empty right now, would it be possible to cut a hole into the side of the shed, in the form of a doggie door, and build a cage inside the shed to allow them to go inside? There is vynl sideing on the shed, which means I would have to remove that completely, correct? or do you think it would be ok to leave it?

The inside of the shed is another matter- the walls are exposed particle board I think, which means that I would have to cover it with sheets of untreated wood, and also cover up the electrical outlets that run along one side of the wall, and cage in the light fixture.

Does this sound at all doable? Any suggestions?

[MiloMacaw]

Here are some pictures of the lot- keep in mind it hasn't been used in about three years so it isn't exactly clean! it would need a good preasure washing and a whole lot of work, but do you think it would be possible? The inside part would really be where I would have to do a lot of work, because I would have to completely cover all the exposed wood and cage the lighting.

[ROYJOY]

yes by all means, dooable. wish i was you. one thing though, the chainlink is galvinized (SP?) and contains zinc.. keep us up on your progress.

[Nazir's]

Would putting a mess screen over the chain link fence help? I got this idea from another bird owner and was wondering would the screen be sufficient enough?
I am brainstroming some ideas myself here for next summer.

[ROYJOY]

yes if their tongue, or beak wont reach the wire, but be careful, alot of mesh is galvanized too.

[Nazir's]

Oh, thanks!!! LOL
Did you look at the pictures? Would a mesh like that be safe or can you not tell by looking at the pictures alone?

[MiloMacaw]

Ok so I started working on plans. I probably wont start till spring.

I am planning to knock part of the wall of the shed down, and build a full size door into the shed from the run. I'll then put a "birdie door" at the top part of the door and build perches on either side. That allows them to come in and out from the shed to the aviary-run.

It also means I can walk inside the shed, close the door, then go into the aviary, and not have to worry about someone flying out.

I think I've decided to make use of the whole run. I'm going to knock down the chainlink fence, and put up a large cage that follows the flow of the concrete pad. That way they can be in full sun if they want. It will also allow them a much longer flight (20 feet) So I need a good, strong wire to build the cage out of. Any suggestions?

Now for the run: I will be filling it with ropes, branches, gyms and perches. I'm also thinking of adding a fountain so that they can bathe if they want to. Should I cover the concrete with some kind of substrate, like clean mulch? I wouldn't want someone to fall and hurt themselves? the top of the flight will be 8 feet high I believe.

well off to the drawing pad!

[Nazir's]

Oh, it sounds like it will be very nice. Iwish I could be there to help out. At least I'd learn how to do some of that stuff you mentioned hands on. Boy, it's going to be great!!!

[Jan in MD]

Hi Shawn... I don't visit here too often but noticed your thread.

I have a friend that built some aviaries for his finches. Know that is an entirely different deal with a Macaw, but thought maybe the pictures on his site with some progress shots may be of some use to you as you plan.

Good luck and I wish you much success creating it. Sounds like fun!

Finch Madness

[MiloMacaw]

Thanks for the help :)

I found this as an alternative to wire- it's what large animal parks use to make their aviaries out of. What do you think?

LFS, Inc.