Aviary Floor/Substrate

[kiwi.relichunter]

Hi,

I've searched through but can't seem to find anything on this - hope I've done it right.

We have been given two small avairies 1.2m x 2.1m (hoping they are big enough for now to house two 3 or possibly IRNs in each). Before the babies move in, we want to set them up to give the healthiest environment possible but am finding conflicting information on the www about best flooring. Would love some help/ideas of what has worked for you guys - This is what I have have heard so far:

Dirt Floors - encourage worms/parasites
Gravel/Stone Chip - some sites say good/easy to clean others say that even if you hose the stones feathers/food can get trapped and create bacteria (this would have been the easiest option)

Concrete/or concrete tiles: This seems to be the easiest to clean - especially if a light layer of sand or sawdust is sprinkled over the floor and swept up each week. So we are leaning this way

Would love to hear some IRN specific thoughts on this.

Kiwi.relichunter

[rosemaryalice]

I think it is very confusing information also. I am thinking flat linoleum with unprinted newspaper for easy cleaning. My flight cages will be on a wooden deck in an enclosed screen porch. I plan to put hardware cloth underneath the linoleum to make doubly sure predators are no problem.

[kiwi.relichunter]

Hi,

I hadn't thought of using wooden deck - that would actually be one of the easiest for us to build a small deck to put aviaries on as my hubby's brother is a carpenter. Would that make an good aviary base or is the concrete floor better, we can manage either.?

kiwi.relichunter

[Melika]

Indoors I would do the linoleum. Outdoors I would use a thick layer of sand. It can be raked and swept easily (won't have crevices like the shell and gravel do) and should drain and dry out fast after rains. Concrete would be great too like you said, with the sand to be swept easily. Whichever you chose, you want to make sure predators cannot dig in from the outside.

Typically wooden decking for outdoors would be made of pressure treated wood or redwood which are both considered toxic for parrots. rosemaryalice is placing hardware cloth and linoleum on top of the wooden decking. You could do that too, with consideration for drainage if it rains in the aviary.


Note of caution for outdoor aviaries:
One of my cockatiels was eaten by a rat last year and one of the budgies was also injured and killed (yes I am very sure it was a rat). The aviary was outside for many (more than five) years before this happened. I had recently purchased hardware cloth to cover the existing wire and prevent the rodents from being able to enter but didn't get it up in time. The rats were just hungrier that night, I suppose. Any place a rat can fit a head through, it can fit through. Many people never have a problem- I am understandably paranoid now. Dangers also come in the form of raccoons or opossums etc. who can grab a bird through the bars (a neighbor lost a quaker parrot this way).

[rosemaryalice]

My deck is high off the ground and it is in an enclosed screen porch. We put hardware cloth on the lower part of the screen to keep out rats after I saw one. I still plan to put hardware cloth under the linoleum. There is roof over the whole thing that is attached to the house. We also put rat poison under the house which has a raised foundation and is totally enclosed. That seems to keep the situation under control. Even though we are on acreage I would be nervous having the birds away from the house as we have too many wild animals around. Besides I can see them from the large windows in the living room on that side of the house and it is easy to care for them without going out in the yard. I have had birds out there for 5 years in flight cages with legs and plan to put 6 foot long and high and 3 feet deep ones in to give the birds more room.

[kiwi.relichunter]

Thank you both,

We have been given the aviaries and there are a couple of holes that we were going to patch at the bottom. We are have decided to go with concrete tiles. The galv wire on the aviaries is less approx 1 - 1.5cm square so pretty small. I'm going to go round this weekend and do what I can to ensure no gaps big enough for rats (or mice) apart from that Possums would be the only other thing around but we are Urban with a park close by and I've never seen any sign of them.

I don't know what the hardware cloth you both refer to is (maybe has a different name way down here in New Zealand?). But will look out for safe options as the new babies arrive this weekend... we hope.

Thanks again for the words of caution.

Kiwi.relichunter

[Melika]

Hardware cloth is galvanized wire mesh- sounds like that's what your aviary is made of. ^^ Pictures when you're done!