BUILDING AN AVIARY?

QUESTION: I have two very cute budgies named Sadie and Baby Merle (both boys).I've had Sadie for 8 years and he is a crazy, happy budgie, alwaystalking and dancing around. I've only had Baby Merle for a month andi think he is still adjusting. The two boys live in a spacious cagebut this summer I am planning on creating an aviary in a spare room.It is a perfect size. I am going to knock down one of the walls andput in sliding doors for easy access and so I can see them. And ofcourse I will want to get new birds. But I have a few questions.Does anyone have an aviary for their budgies and can tell me whatkind of toys etc. they have? Are there some good websites that haveideas for aviaries? What is dangerous for budgies? What kind ofbirds can I keep in the same room with my budgies? Thanks for allyour help!

ANSWER: My husband and I built our Aviary about 4 years ago. It is 6' X 6' X 7' high in our Living room/Dining room. It's the "focal" point of our home.

We have about 100 Cockatiels, Budgies, Canaries, and Zebra Finches who have been together for 4 years. The Budgies and Zebra Finches can be "nasty" and "territorial" little Birdies. The Canaries are more peaceful and sweet. So we had to build a smaller Aviary (on wheels) to house our Canaries. All of our Birdies are extremely "prolific" so that we have to remove their eggs every morning.

We designed our Aviary to be easy to add-on to as the population of our Birdies increased. We cut 4" X 4" X 3' untreated Pine studs in half lengthwise and attached them with hinges. We did this so that when these are hinged together they form a square Aviary 6' X 6' X 7' high. We used 2" X 2" so as not to obstruct the view of the Birdies with 2 attached 4" X 4" studs. Each section of our Aviary is a 3' X 3' X 3' frame to which we added an additional foot at the top to give our Cockatiels added height to "perch". Cockatiels like to perch way up high in the trees in the wild and in our Aviary they like the very top.

We used untreated Pine because Cedar is aromatic and could cause problems for the Birdies. We varnished the Pine with Marine Spar Varnish (4 coats) to make it easy to remove Birdie poo poo.

We have Cockatiels who love to "chew" so we had to use a heavy 1/2" galvanized metal wire screen. This is good to hang their food cups and water dispensers.

We left enough room all the way around the Aviary so we can walk around it to inspect the nests without going inside and disturbing our Birdies. Also, I didn't want the Aviary right up against the walls because the Birdies need to have the screens to "grab" onto if they become tired or frightened.

We attached various size natural tree branches and sisal hemp rope inside at various heights. We left the center free of Branches and obstruction so they can fly around and exercise. They have numerous toys which they all love to play with.

We put a mattress on the bottom of our Aviary because we have Italian tile flooring throughout our home and, occasionally, a frightened Birdie might fall off of a perch at night.

Since our Aviary is inside there is no need for a "safety entrance". We have a narrow door that faces a wall. That way if a Birdie should accidentally get by us as we enter the aviary, then, he'll face the wall and he will be easier to net. Our ceiling is 20 feet high. When a Birdie becomes adventurous and decides to take "a fly around outside the Aviary" then we just wait until he gets tired and flies back to his family and friends in the Aviary.

My husband installed (4) 4 ' long full-spectrum lights above the Aviary that produces the same effect as natural sunlight. He hooked up the lights to an automatic timer.

There were NOT any informative sites that I could find on the Internet to give us the information that we needed to build our Aviary to our specifications. We learned how to do it by doing it ourselves. So far everything has been perfect---- except the SIZE. This summer we will extend our Aviary from its present size 6' X 6' X 7' high to 12' X 12' X 14' high. Our Cockatiels love to fly around in the Aviary and we love to watch them unencumbered freely flying around.

We have plenty of nest boxes (1 per each pair of Birdies), natural tree branches, toys, feeding sites, water dispensers, water cups, and bathing sites for everybody. We hang fresh carrot tops, romaine lettuce, Chinese cabbage, and spinach every morning which they love to eat and to play with. They hang and swing from these hanging veggies like "trapeze artists".
We had fun creating our Aviary and we enjoy our Birdies every day. Here are some photos of our Birdies in our Aviary. Check it out.

http://groups.msn.com/EIJMNN/karensbirdees.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=681

http://groups.msn.com/EIJMNN/karensbirdees.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=686

http://groups.msn.com/CockatielWorld/birdeebeautees.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=363

http://groups.msn.com/CockatielWorld/birdeebeautees.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=355

http://groups.msn.com/CockatielWorld/birdeebeautees.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=360

Good luck with your project. I know you'll love it. It's a great idea.

Budgies

In my opinion, there is nothing more "PURE", "CLEAN", and "FRESH"
looking, than a "PURE" Albino Budgie. THEY ARE GORGEOUS !!! We have
been raising our Albinos for several years and they are the
"HARDIEST" of our many different varieties of Birdies. They are a
very intelligent, energetic, healthy, and strong Budgie.

Our Albino Budgies learn to "step up" immediately without many days
of "repetition". They start to "talk" and will repeat 1 or 2 phrases
when they are about 2 months old. I believe it is because they are
kept in our Aviary with their family members. Birds seem to do much
better when they are kept as a "family" or "flock". They "mentor"
each other. Also, my husband and I spend time "loving" our Birdies.

We have NEVER had ANY problems with our "Albino" Budgies. Thank YOU,
Lord. In fact, they are such great Birdies that whenever we sense
there is a "problem" with another Budgie Mommie neglecting her
offspring then we place the neglected Budgie Baby in the nest box of
our original Albino parents, who will always raise it with the
same "LOVE" that they give to their own "blood" offspring.

ALL Birdies require "eye contact" and "comfort" and "understanding"
to BECOME BEAUTIFUL HEALTHY BIRDIES.

Breeding "Albino" Budgies is simple. It is easy to predict the
outcome of their matings. The characteristic that produces
a "Lutino" Budgie,is the same characteristic that will produce
an "Albino" Budgie. The DIFFERENCE is that the "Lutino" Budgie is
the "--ino" form of the "GREEN" while the "ALBINO" is THE "BLUE"
FORM.

"ALBINISM" is a very interesting "SEX-LINKED" characteristic. It can
be predictably reproduced in Budgies the same way as the "Opalines",
"Cinnamons", "Lacewings" and "Slates".

Only one bird which carries the "--INO" factor is needed to start
an "Albino" family of Budgies. You can start by using 2 "PURE
ALBINO" cocks (either brothers or closely related "pure" Albino male
Budgies). These 2 cocks can then be paired to normal (or opaline)
HENS. All of the hens from these matings will be "Albino" and all the
cocks that are produced from these matings will be CARRIERS of the "--
-ino" factor. "CARRIERS" are called "SPLITS".

A hen bred from each Albino cock can then be mated with another
Albino cock which will give you two pairs to produce ALL ALBINO
offspring. A "SPLIT" cock from one pair who is mated to another
Albino hen from the other will give you 2 more pairs which can
produce BOTH "pure" Albino cocks AND "pure" Albino hens.

The first 2 related "PURE" Albino cocks will produce uncle to niece
matings and matings of "first" cousins. These are good matings.

I have included a "Table of Pairings and Expectations" for anybody
who is interested in Breeding "Pure" Albino Budgies. My husband and
I have a few years of experience with BREEDING PURE ALBINO BUDGIES
and our methods have ALWAYS proven to be successful. Thank YOU,
Lord. (Praying helps)

albino x albino will yeild 100% albino Baby Budgies.

albino cock x normal hen will yeild normal/albino cocks albino hens

normal/albino cock x albino hen will yeild albino cocks normal/albino
cocks albino hens normal hens

normal cock x albino hen will yeild normal/albino cocks normal hens

normal/albino cock x normal hen will yeild normal cocks
normal/albino cocks albino hens normal hens

The most important ingredient when raising "perfect" Albino Budgies----LOVE !!!