Aviary Design And Construction (Best Practices And What To Avoid)

Aviary Design And Construction

If you have read our articles about bird cages and bird aviaries, you may want more information about aviary design and construction. Many bird owners decide to build their own aviary from scratch. They either improvise, or they may use simple plans they find online. However, good aviary design and construction is more than just building a structure in a haphazard manner. It is not difficult, but it does take care and planning.

In its simplest form bird aviary is just a large enclosure for birds with enough room to fly. This additional room keeps your birds strong, mentally, physically and emotionally. If a bird does not have enough room to move about and satisfy their curiosity, they may become depressed. Consequently, you birds may develop bad habits, such as pulling out their feathers or biting. Housing your birds an aviary may therefore help your avoid some of the most destructive bird behaviors. These behaviors often appear when birds live in inadequate space and lack the emotional and intellectual stimulation that are features of the best aviaries. Our aviary design and construction advice will help you make the best aviary possible and can therefore lead to a longer, healthier life for your birds.

Good Aviary Guidance

As you can see, it is definitely worth providing your birds with an aviary. However, if you are planning to buy an aviary, you can easily spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars for a high-quality product. In fact, one of the main issues aviary owners report running into is the cost of the aviary. That’s why a small investment in aviary design and construction plans can wind up saving you lots of money and paying great dividends for your birds. That’s why you might want to consider investing in a book that can help you through your journey. However, to help you start planning your own aviary first, let’s take a look at some basic aviary design and construction recommendations.

Safety Considerations

Providing an aviary at all is one of the safest decisions you can make for your birds. Even if you live in a cold climate, you can put your birds in in an outdoor aviary during the warm weather and give the benefit of added space, fresh air, sunlight and a more natural habitat.

However the structure itself, as well as its surroundings, must also be safe. You can design the best-looking aviary in your neighborhood, but if it is not safe for birds, it will be of no use. Indeed, structural safety should be primary when considering aviary design and construction. This begins with selecting bird-safe materials. It goes without saying that you should never use wood that has been treated with pesticides or other harmful chemicals.

If you are making perches, you should also be sure to kill any any organisms or pathogens that might be living in the wood before you use it. You can do this by washing the wood with a solution of 10 parts warm water and 1 part bleach, if you rinse the wood well. However, we would recommend using the same ratio of a bird-safe soap instead of bleach. Also, if you are using wood that has been lying around for a while, think about what substances might have contacted it before using it to build your aviary!

Some examples of bird-safe wood include: pine, poplar, spruce, maple and yucca. Some woods that you should avoid are: plum, walnut, oak, pitch pine and redwood.

Where To Put Your Bird Aviary

Safety considerations do not end when aviary design and construction has been completed. Before you even begin building your aviary, you will need to decide where to put it. It is important that you make safe decisions during this phase for the sake of your birds. Do not put your aviary close enough to neighboring buildings or trees to make it easy for predators to get into the aviary and injure your birds, or worse.

You should also be careful not to put the aviary close to where birds might come into contact with harmful chemicals or other substances, or where excessive noise might scare them. You should also avoid placing the aviary in a location where there is an excess amount of bright light during the night. The might prevent your birds from getting an adequate amount of sleep.

Do put you aviary in a location where birds will have easy access to lots of sunlight and fresh air. At the same time, you should be sure to build an enclosed area of the aviary where they can take refuge from the harsh elements. You should not leave your birds exposed to constant, direct sunlight, or to strong wind or rain. Choose a relatively secluded area for your aviary. You can even surround it with vegetation if you wish. Both your neighbors and your birds will appreciate the seclusion and protection from noise!

Predator Safety

If you are designing and constructing an outdoor aviary, it is especially important that you make it predator-proof. This should be a primary consideration as you construct each component of the aviary. Choose the best, most durable material for the panels. To be extra safe, you can attach two different gauges of aviary mesh to the frame to ensure that no animals can access your birds. Always make sure the aviary mesh is fastened to the side of the frame facing away from the birds. This way, you can avoid accidental cuts and other injuries.

The Aviary Floor

If you have read some of our other articles about building an aviary, you know that we always recommend a cement floor. This is because cement is easy clean and non-porous. Consequently, it is much more difficult for bacteria to grow and hide than in a soil floor, for example. It is also very simple to hose down and keep clean. While it is also possible to construct an aviary floor out of stones and gravel, this is not our first choice because such floors are harder to clean.

A gravel floor simply consists of multiple layers of gravel to provide drainage. Under the gravel layers, you can place wire mesh and attach the mesh to the aviary frame. The spacing of this mesh layer should be small and the gravel should be too large for a bird to swallow.

If you prefer a cement aviary floor, you should dig a ditch about 18cm into the ground. Then, fill the ditch with concrete and place concrete blocks or bricks on this base. This will keep the aviary raised off the ground, making it less likely that the wood will rot. Be sure to make drainage holes in the cement floor. However, you should do so in a way that will not allow predators to enter the aviary!

The Aviary Panels

If you would like detailed information on how to make aviary panels, be sure to check out this article. Stainless steel is the best material we can recommend for this task. It is clean and absolutely bird safe. Medical-grade stainless steel will also not rust. You can use U nails to attach the mesh to the frame. Simply pound the U nails into place with a hammer. Then, use wire cutters to cut away any excess mesh. Use wire clips to join two or more pieces sections of mesh together when necessary. Always make sure that the side of the frames with the U nails is facing out of the aviary. This will prevent injury to the birds and will help prevent damage from gnawing.

Design And Construction Of The Aviary Roof

It is essential to add good roof to your aviary to keep your birds healthy and safe from harsh weather. Adding a flat roof is not a good idea because it will allow water to collect on top. Instead, construct a sloped roof to allow for good drainage. We recommend corrugated roofing material for this purpose. You can cut the corrugated roofing using a jigsaw or a saw with a metal blade. Make sure to size it according to the length and width of the roof for the best fit. Fasten the corrugated roofing material into place vertically with screws.

Conclusion

With these and many other factors to consider, you may decide that it is easier to simply buy an aviary. The decision depends on your specifications and the amount of time and money you have. Whatever you decide, always be sure to make the health and welfare of your birds your primary consideration.