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Note:
The details on this page are to be read and used in conjunction with the
information on the "housing birds" web page.
There is a huge range of shapes, sizes and designs of aviaries and
cages in use today. If you have a unit that works for you, that is
great and why change.
Aviculturists house birds in a wide range of
climatic conditions ranging from the tropics, to desert areas, to cold areas
subject to snowfalls, high rainfall to areas subject to prolonged droughts.
Some areas can have very hot days but at night the temperature may drop to close
to freezing point. Almost every possible climatic condition can be found
in Australia. Successful breeders can be found in this vast diversity of
climatic conditions so if you are able to get access to people or read articles
that relate to your particular area use those facts as a starting point.
The following is what is generally recommended but is subject to
change to suit the available space, available resources and local
environmental conditions. When in the design stage, thought should be
given to allow for possible current or future disabilities (e.g. broken
arm or age related restrictions) or if children may be required to help
with any of the duties.
Suspended aviaries are becoming more widely used and can be
researched to determine if this is a valid choice for your site.
Topics covered below - in order:
Cage size
Quarantine cage
Finches
Ground dwelling birds
Suspended cage and aviary rotation
Materials
Furniture and utensils
Half suspended and half aviary
Floor of the suspended cage
Walls
Roof
Nest boxes
Catching Birds
Cleaning
Portability
Cage size
Lorikeet and Lory suspended cage size
could be 1200mm long, 900mmwide and 1200mm high. Cage floor about 1000mm
above the room floor.
Many larger parrots can be housed in suspended cages. Size could be
2400mm long, 1200mm wide and 1200mm high.
Cages of up to 4 metres (12 feet) long are often used for the larger parrots.
Suspended cages: The larger the suspended cage the more flying and activity
the birds can do and this can result in healthier birds. The more flying and
activity the less chance the birds will get fat or obese.
Canary, budgie and finch cages of less than one metre (about 3 feet) long now
often have an elevated wire mesh floor. The cage can be fully mesh like
the larger versions or the traditional solid walls and roof but with a wire
floor. The wire floor can be about 30mm (1 inch) above the solid floor.
The cage tray is retained under the wire mesh floor to facilitate easy cage
cleaning.
Pet or companion bird cages that are used indoors by parrots usually have a
suspended wire mesh floor. The floor is usually the same mesh as the
walls.
Small suspended cages can be used for the holding of young birds prior to sale
or for holding handreared birds while they are being weaned.
A suspended cage is usually used to house one pair of parrots.
3 or more non-breeding parrots could be housed in a suspended cage, subject to
cage size constraints and compatibility.
Multiple pairs of finches could be housed in a suspended cage, subject to cage
size constraints.
Top of topics list
Quarantine cage
A wire suspended cage can be used as a quarantine cage. The cage
can be easily cleaned and easily stored when not required. The
bird will not be able to walk in their own droppings. The wire
base will allow easy collection of the bird's droppings for examination
by an avian veterinarian for internal parasites or pathology tests.
The suspended quarantine cage can be the size of a normal quarantine
cage.
Top of topics list
Finches Although most
people house parrots in suspended cages, most finches can be successfully housed
and bred in suspended cages. Refer to "Cage size" topic as above.
Top of topics list
Ground dwelling birds
Ground dwelling birds are generally unsuitable for a
suspended cage. Some species of parrots spend a lot of time
foraging on the ground and may not adapt to prolonged periods in a
suspended cage.
Top of topics list
Suspended
cage and aviary rotation
A lot of birds are now housed and bred in suspended cages. If space
allows, these birds can be placed in a conventional aviary during the
non-breeding season. This will allow the birds to fly and exercise more
than in the suspended cage. The additional exercise should help the birds
improve their fitness and muscle tone. The extra exercise should help the
birds regain their optimal calcium and bone density levels during the
non-breeding season.
For birds that roost in a nest during the non-breeding season, their favourite
nest box/log can be placed in the aviary to make them feel happy and secure.
Fit, healthy and happy birds usually breed better than grumpy unfit birds.
Top of topics list
Materials
Suspended cages are usually made from galvanized wire mesh.
All the walls, roof and floor of the cage are the wire mesh.
A mesh floor allows the droppings and any fallen foods to fall through the mesh.
The material that accumulates under the cage must be removed regularly. If
the wire is of strong enough gauge and the mesh panels are joined/connected, the
structure is self supporting with minimal additional framing. The
supporting cage legs are galvanized water pipe with the appropriate plates or
fixtures in the ground. The cage often is supported on a galvanised metal
base.
Base or support Legs: If vertical galvanized water pipe is used as the
"legs" of the supporting frame, rodents should not be able to climb up the
"legs" and gain access to the cage part.
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Furniture and utensils
All the normal fittings and
fixtures can be placed in a suspended cage. Care has to be taken to allow
maximum flying space so take care as to the positioning of items such as
perches, water bowls, feed trays, bird toys and bird gyms etc. Don't place
items where birds, including the inexperienced young birds, will crash into those
items.
Perches must be placed at both ends of the cage.
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Half suspended and half aviary
One of the newer options is to have the front part of the "aviary" to
be of the suspended cage design and the rear part to be the conventional walk-in
style aviary. The front portion has a floor height is usually about half
the height of the aviary part. The front part usually does not have a
solid roof. The water bowl and bathing area can be in the front part.
This will keep the other part of the aviary floor dry. If the front part
is fully roofed, the fruits, vegetables, greens and seed mixes can be placed in
the suspended portion. Most of the seed husks, waste seed and the other
materials will fall through the wire floor and this usually means less cleaning
of the walk-in part. If you need to extend the length of an existing
aviary, the half and half option is a less expensive way of building. It
also allows an aviary to be extended over unsuitable ground (steep, rocky, or
wet areas) without expensive or difficult landscaping.
The half and half can give the best features of both styles.
Top of topics list
Floor of the suspended cage
The floor of the suspended cage can range from about 300mm (1 foot)
to 1200mm (4 feet) above the ground level. The height determines how easy
the cage will be to clean away the material under the cage. If anyone who
will be cleaning the cage/s has any disabilities or age related degenerative
problems such as worn hips, knees or bad back, then care must be taken to design
a structure that will allow for the keepers restrictions. No use making a
suspended cage with a floor level of 500mm high if you or one of the family
cannot bend down to reach under the cage. Equally if children will
regularly be asked to help with the care or maintenance of the suspended cage,
it may cause difficulties if the floor of the cage is too high.
The wire mesh floor does not allow a person to walk in the cage. Catching
a bird requires different techniques to those used in a walk-in aviary.
Top of topics list
Walls
The walls are usually wire mesh but if the birds are likely to be distracted by
the adjacent pairs or aggression is a possible between the pairs in the
adjoining cages, a solid wall can be attached to the exterior of one of the
cages.
Top of topics list
Roof
The roof of the suspended cage is determined by the location of the cage.
If the cage is in a fully covered area or inside a building, the cage roof can
be wire mesh. If the cage is fully or partially exposed to rain and sun it
is necessary to have part of the cage roof to be made from a solid material.
If the birds like a shaded nest location, the roof can be made of a
non-transparent material. Transparent or opaque material can be used if
light restrictions are not necessary. Corrugated Colourbond steel and the
newer corrugated transparent and semi-transparent materials are strong, easy to
attach and long lasting. The cage can be fully covered or half covered.
The fully covered roof should minimize the risk of contamination from wild
birds, attack from airborne predators, and minimize the environmental extremes.
A half covered roof will allow the birds more access to sunlight and the option
to bathe in the rain. The nest box should be placed under the covered
portion of the cage.
Top of topics list
Nest boxes
Nest boxes can be placed inside the
suspended cage or attached externally to the cage. When attached
externally, a piece of the mesh is removed from the wall and the nest box is
securely attached and the nest entry hole aligned with the mesh hole. Care
must be taken to ensure the birds are not able to be injured on any of the
exposed wire edges surrounding nest entrance. A larger piece of similar
wire mesh must be made so the hole can be securely covered when or if the nest
is removed.
The advantage of having a nest box exterior to the cage is that the keeper does
not have to enter the cage to do a nest inspection or any nest maintenance.
One drawback of nests external to the cage is the risk of birds escaping from
the nestbox during inspections, nest maintenance or the birds chewing through
the nestbox. The suspended cage complex should have a fully enclosed
walkway at the rear of the cages. The enclosed walkway will hold the
escapee till the owner returns or recaptures them.
Top of topics list
Catching Birds
To minimize stress to the birds including the young, the
correct methods or techniques must be learned and implemented. Get advice
and instruction from an established successful suspended cage bird breeder or
from an avian veterinarian.
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Cleaning
A mesh floor allows most of the droppings and any fallen foods to fall through
the mesh. The material that accumulates under the cage must be removed
regularly. Cages that house lorikeets or lories may benefit from the wire
mesh being washed or scrubbed to remove the dried foods and any faecal material.
This cleaning should be carried out for all birds but the lorikeets and lories
will need this to be done more regularly due to the liquid faeces.
Regular cleaning of the lorikeet and lory cages should help to minimize the
corrosive effects of the liquid droppings.
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Portability
An individual suspended cage is often built so that it can be
easily moved. Multiple adjoined units can be built that can be
moved with the help of a few people. The suspended cage portion is simply lifted off the frame base
and transported to the new location. Rebuild or relocate the base
and replace the cage portion.
Unlike a typical parrot aviary, the suspended cage can be built so it is
not a permanent structure.
Smaller suspended cages can be moved outdoors during the better months
and then moved undercover or indoors during the winter or unfavourable
months.
Top of topics list
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