New budgie enclosure started

Minimaker

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I wanted to make a bigger area for my budgies to move around in because they are such active little birds. I let them out, but play merry heck getting them back in the cage-and who could blame them? I looked online at flight cages, but decided I could do better for them if I built them something even bigger. I hate the mess that gets thrown out the cage bars, and this solves that problem completely and truly contains it inside the footprint of the cage. Plus I really wanted to get all of my birds (except the macaw who takes showers) a filtered water feature they could play and drink from which is really hard to set up on a cage made for smaller birds like budgies. I didn't feel it would have the strength to safely hold it up on the smaller thinner bars. So my darling hubby stepped in again to help me out, and together we built them an enclosure with a 36" screen door front so the whole thing is roughly 45" wide-floor to ceiling tall. It's not done and it's missing the background (being shipped to us right now). I think I have it set up ok minus a few toys that will have to be hung on wooden blocks hanging from the wall since there are no cage bars to screw anything to. Still working on that. I plan to add in some silk greenery as well, maybe some leaves stuck here and there on the wall for a more natural look in there. I wanted it to feel like a woodlandish play gym area. Here's what I have so far:
4eacfa5b-384b-4f64-abfb-8064f77a5682_zpsfwbja38y.jpg


This is the background which isn't here yet:
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Minimaker

Minimaker

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As soon as I get more stuff set up I will update this thread. The outside is still plain untreated wood and the screen door is not finished yet either. I ordered some all natural white milk paint to do the outside of the cage. It's still not trimmed out yet or anything. My husband only gets one day off a week so I have to go easy on him with the weekend projects. This may take awhile to get done. I think I'll be replacing some of the screen on it with Plexiglas at some point. But for now it's ok. It's roomy and they seem so entertained and happy in there. So much different than the smaller cage they were in. They were always screaming their heads off to get let out. It's mercifully quiet now, at least for now.
 

Allee

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Budgie paradise, Tara! The enclosure is beautiful! I love everything about it!

Can I ask about the filtered water feature? That's really nice.
 
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Minimaker

Minimaker

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Budgie paradise, Tara! The enclosure is beautiful! I love everything about it!

Can I ask about the filtered water feature? That's really nice.

The one in the photo is a mini drinkwell pet fountain perfect for the budgies. It has those carbon filters that get rid of the yuck. It has a gentle waterfall feature that the flow can be adjusted faster or slower.

It's this one here: Drinkwell MINI Pet Water Fountain Cat or Dog Bowl 40oz
 

Allee

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Thank you! I think any budgie would love that!
 

Terry57

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WOW! That is going to be amazing! Lucky lucky budgies!
 

Allee

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Tara, your budgies are real beauties! The waterfall mural is going to look incredible.

So much space, seems a shame not to add at least a couple more birdies. :)
 

RavensGryf

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I would absolutely LOVE an enclosure like that! That is going to be as awesome as Sailor's enclosure. Lucky birdies for sure. Go ahead, get some more budgies now ;).
 

kalypso123

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I really adore your set up. It's really well done. Art and building are not my thing. Im not good at that stuff so I love to see other peoples. I am buidling my cockatiel an aviary soon. My rescue gets lots of budgies so maybe you can add a few budgies from your rescue to your set up..........
 
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Minimaker

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Not quite finished on the inside, but getting closer. I need a couple more elaborate chew toys I think, and I'm thinking about adding some greenery made for reptile enclosures. Any more than that and it defeats the purpose of them having room to move and fly around. We did add a low shelf and made the underneath part storage for food because they refused to go that low to the ground. It ended up being wasted space with more wall to poop down. We added a tallish lip to the front of the shelf, making it a tray of sorts so the poop/food/feathers couldn't get knocked off the front down into the storage area. We put vinyl flooring over it for easy washing. I added in their acrylic play gym but so far no one wants to go down there. I'm sure once they settle in they'll investigate further. Here's what I have-sorry for the terrible pictures but my phone can't seem to get a clear shot in this area. The enclosure light is off for pictures so there is less glare:
1169c2c1-57af-42ce-a81e-196c375d5bd2_zpsjqngwksb.jpg


This one was last night so it was darker in there:
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Aquila

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Love it! I'd love to have a space like that, very creative. Thinking about getting one of those waterers for sure.
 
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Minimaker

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Three more photos (and then I'm done, promise):

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Tazzy goes incognito against the background:
a1140bfe-ccc9-45b3-a934-7190b238ed58_zpsiulao5ks.jpg


The three tweets have never been so quiet and content:
e39ee1c0-58c5-4973-932e-0722a90b8143_zpsexf5nusl.jpg
 

RavensGryf

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Wow, that is absolutely spectacular Tara :)!! Your birds are beautiful too.

What do you use on the floor? How big is the entire enclosure? What is the front side made of (plexiglass, mesh, etc)?
 
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Minimaker

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Thanks, I'm proud they have room to move now :) It used to be floor to ceiling but they refused to go to the lower portion of it so we added in a separator shelf/tray (we added a tall wooden lip on the front to keep the mess contained) and made the bottom section food and supply storage. It now measures 45" wide by 62" tall. I lined the tray in vinyl flooring material for easy wipe up. One side is wall, the other is plexiglass, the front is a 36" wide screen door. It totally keeps the food debris and feathers off the floor. Thank goodness, man those little tweeters are messy birds!

I know the backgrounds seem non-essential, but they honestly do notice and look at them. After a shower, Sailor goes to the top of her enclosure and flaps around hanging by one foot. She uses the other one to try to grab onto what she sees in the picture. It's sort of sad and funny at the same time. Sad because I'd like to give her that freedom. I cannot wait until we can build her a huge outdoor aviary. That will be a blessed day. That day will come because I want to see these birds fly outside without being on a leash. Right now my son's dogs have the outdoor space. When he gets a place he's taking them and I will have my yard again to make that dream happen. No offense to the doggies of course but I really can't enjoy them because I'm so very allergic to them. I love them from afar or else I itch like mad.
 
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Minimaker

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Oh also, I wanted to say they really really like it and I now have proof :) Before they would scream their heads off to be let out of the old cage to fly. Drove us absolutely batty during the times they couldn't be let out. Yesterday when we tried to get them out of there to hang the mural, every time we got them to step up we'd slowly move them out of the cage and they would fly back into it instead of away from it like they did their old cage. Over and over again, each bird would dart back inside the enclosure. We had to cup a hand over them to move them out because they refused to stay out of it, hehe.
 

RavensGryf

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I don't blame them for wanting to go back IN! :D That is my dream one day to have enclosures instead of cages. Seems easier to clean too. Again, this one as well as Sailor's is phenomenal. I'm impressed, and this is my inspiration!
 

Flboy

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So if I understand, this is a bit like a tardis? One side is the screen door, other plex, rest plywood? Issues with wood smell?

I am trying to wrap my brain around the basic construction. I spotted your method of mounting the branches, plywood cleats on the walls.
 
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