How to Make a Homemade Finch Aviary
Homemade aviaries provide a safe, attractive environment to house your birds for hours of viewing enjoyment. The beauty of designing your own is that you can make it to match your decor tastes as well as make it most convenient for your uses. Aviaries can be built any size and shape as long as they can be easily cleaned and house a sufficient amount of perches as well as food and water bowls. Keep the safety of the birds in mind as many birds get injured trying to escape aviaries.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Galvanized wire mesh
- Wire cutters
- Wooden frame (optional)
- Screen doors and windows (optional)
- Pull-out tray (optional)
- Staple gun
- Perches
- Food and water bowls
- Non-toxic plants
- Full-spectrum florescent lights or other outdoor lights
Instructions
-
Build a Finch Aviary
-
1
Decide on the size and design of your aviary. Depending on your space, this may vary from 4 feet to 8 feet tall and 2 feet to 6 feet wide.
-
2
Cut galvanized wire mesh to the desired size and fasten together to form a sturdy enclosure or attach to a wooden frame for a more attractive aviary. Leave room for doors and windows where food bowls can be inserted and a space for a pull-out tray in the bottom.
-
-
3
Attach wire mesh to the frame (optional) with a staple gun or use the wire mesh to cover the top of the aviary if not attached to a wooden frame.
-
4
Add a door and small windows for easy access to food and water dishes. Screen doors and windows are easy to purchase and install.
-
5
Add a pullout tray to the bottom if you choose. If the aviary is walk-in, this is not necessary.
-
6
Add perches and non-toxic plants to your aviary to make it more comfortable and inviting for your birds.
-
7
Add full-spectrum florescent lighting or a string of outdoor lights to enhance your aviary and the quality of life for your birds.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Select wire mesh spacing based on the size of finches you would like to keep. One-half inch by 2 inches will usually suffice, but if you plan to keep gold-breasted waxbills or bronze mannikins, you may want to go with 1/2 by 1/2inch. If you plan to raise birds, you might want to go even smaller. Your aviary must be easy for you to access for cleaning, feeding and checking on the birds so make entries convenient to you. The lower the door is on the aviary, the more difficult it is for birds to escape because they tend to fly upward to avoid danger. Consider designing partitions so you can keep the birds from the area you are cleaning or maintaining. Non-toxic plants includes ferns, evergreens, bamboo, ficus and palms. Flooring for your aviary can be any material you would like, but sand doesn't invite bacterial growth like soil does and can provide a healthier environment for your birds.
If you add screen doors or windows to your aviary, you must keep your birds' nails trimmed regularly to prevent injuries resulting from long nails being caught in the screen. Do not overcrowd your aviary with perches as you want the finches to have room for flight. Don't place food and water bowls underneath perches to avoid waste in the bowls.
