Inexpensive aviary options

k13

Regular Member
Hello everyone,

A bit of context, I have a couple of parrots now (an Amazon and a conure and although they have decent sized cages amongst our living room and free flight for some time during the day, I’d love for them to have an outdoor area where they can spend a couple of hours really stretching their wings, foraging and soaking in the real sun!

I have a conservatory which is way too hot in the summer but I’m thinking to do a lean to cardio from the conservatory, or some sort of aviary option where I can take the parrot in a carrier cage to the aviary.

Are there any cheap/ easily built options on the market?

Thanks
 
@Oli Fry built an aviary for his Greys.

A friend in the US has a porch the open sides of which she covered in strong netting - this is for Pionus parrots.

When I lived in London I used Rosemead Aviaries:
The link above might give you some ideas.
I designed ours to fit onto a door from the sitting room and Rosemead travelled to London to deliver and put it together for me:

Aviary-3.jpg

Aviary-2.jpg

Our aviary now in Jersey is also built onto the sitting room so that the birds can choose to go out there if they want to. This was when it was just built. It was expensive though, but just showing you for ideas.

Aviary 5.jpg

Aviary 7.jpg

Agree that the conservatory is too hot for birds - mine certainly is! Although I made flyscreens (I used pet mesh - far stronger than ordinary mesh) for the French windows (right of the pic below) so they can be open in the summer. You can just see the closed flyscreen in the open door. Bobbie (Amazon) likes to play in there.

New bed after.jpg
 
Inexpensive means building one your self from timber and suitable guage mesh strength and thickness.
Are you good at diy?
 
Sometimes there's good second hand ones for sale on gumtree or eBay but make sure it's the correct size mesh.
My little dude aviary is by Avifabs it's same mesh and grade as what rosemead use but was cheaper its 10ft wide and 12ft long 6ft high at one side 6.5ft the other so I could put a polycarbonate roof on during bird flu outbreaks and tough winter weather (tilt helps keep snow from settling I can slide a brush to dislodge it)
Its bolted to the side of my garage (so 3 sided plus roof garage wall is fourth side) I enter via the garage side door so don't have / need a safety porch as the garage acts as it.I
Check where the prevailing wind comes from set it up so they have shelter from strong sun and wind/rain or you won't be using it much.
Floor must be secure either by burying the mesh a good foot deeper or by flag stones to stop weasels/stoats/rats digging under and in!
Wish I didn't have concrete in this aviary as it's nicer for little dudes to mess around in the grass. My previous aviaries were home built wood framed mesh to inside to prevent chewing and allow wood to be treated without poisoning birds. I always have my aviaries stood on a brick rim to prevent base rotting.
 
Thanks all I appreciate the replies!

@Roz that screen on the conservatory might be worth me looking into as I could probably make that happen this year, then make plans for the aviary next year.

Does it stick on with magnets or a roller type?

@Oli Fry has a great article in one of the magazines I have so I’ll refresh myself.
 
Good luck with your aviary @k13 . Even if you start with a small one and perhaps extend it later it'll be worth it for you and the birds. I can certainly endorse Rosemead btw.
 
  • Like
Reactions: k13
@k13 i dont think that there is a cheap aviary. Aluminium is more expensive than a wooden structure, but aluminium will last alot longer, plus it can be added to alot easily. When designing the enclosure try and keep the panels to standard sizes in width and length, as this will make life alot easier when you have the funds for expanding the size of the enclosure.
 
Back
Top Bottom