Building an aviary... organic fertilizer?

[Alienation]

So we're planning on building an aviary for my when he arrives, but the spot we want to build it has a flower bed (which we want to incorporate into the design). The problem is it has had organic fertilizer in it, and I'm under the impression this is bad for birds? Is there a way that I can make it safe? Or will we just have to get rid of it all?

 

[Ratzy]

I would miss the flower bed altogether, lots of plants are toxic....

 

[Alienation]

But non toxic plants can be fun and interesting for the bird, right?

 

[Ratzy]

Yep, but they might encourage bacteria...

 

[Spiritbird]

If you have a public avairy near you I would make a visit. There you could educate yourself first hand on the plants and herbs that are safe for birds to be around. You would want to grow them organically. There are several that are safe for birds to eat.

http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-housing/bird-aviaries/aviary-safe-plants.aspx

 

[Alienation]

I don't think there's a public aviary nearby. I do have a list of non-toxic plants though. I was actually more thinking of planting grass in it, as the Womachs (from birdtricks) suggest having grass in an aviary is a really good idea. I just wanted to know what to do about the fertilizer. I'm guessing I might just have to get rid of it and get sterile soil?

 

[antoinette]

Hi Alienation, I came across this very informative link, pertaining to safe plants
Quite an eye opener for me

Bird Safe Plants - Page 1

 

[nofearengineer]

Alien, the trick is to not expose the parrot to fresh organic fertilizer. As you have rightly surmised, just because something is "organic" doesn't mean it's healthy to just roll around in it. Most organic fertilizer has at least some manure-based components, and these will of course have bacteria like E. Coli in them for quite some time after application.

If you are worried about bacteria from an old application of the fertilizer, don't be. Just don't add any more to the garden if you plan on having the bird in it in the near future, perhaps a month. Most gardeners will tell you not to eat any produce from a garden within one month of fertilizer being applied. That should be plenty of time for the fertilizer to break down and decompose to a "natural" state.

This all assumes non-toxic plants in the garden, which is sort of a chuckle to me. Show me a garden that doesn't have any unwanted plants in it, and I'll give you a good deal on the Brooklyn Bridge. Who can tell if any of the weeds is toxic to parrots. If I were going to let a parrot play with pretty plants and flowers, it would probably be in hanging pots in a more controllable environment, such as a screened in patio or a greenhouse. But then again...I'm a worry-wart.

 

[Pheonix Rising]

Thanks for this post alien I to am
building an aviary and thought it would be really cool to grow plants in there for my bird
I was thinking more along the lines of tomatoes, strawberries , basil , rosemarry , carrots etc
things the birds can help themselves to so to speak

I think however after reading this post that perhaps hanging baskets and such planted with safe plants may be a better idea

The 2nd concern with having a natural floor is the lack of ability to clean it which would incourage bacteria growth from the poop and also invite mice and rats etc to the section in search of the old bird food

I am now thinking although slightly more pricey to make the bottom using pacers. Leave small gaps between each so you can wash poo and seed between the gaps and that may even cause sprouting of some seeds if you use seeds that Is

Anyways hope I have given you Some ideas as this thread has given me
cheers Jesse

 

[Alienation]

Thanks for all the info guys!
I'm glad the fertiliser will be safe as it has been there for over a month now. I was actually thinking of growing grass in there rather than plants, but I will keep the safe plant list as a reference.
Also the idea of a hanging basket sounds great! I'll keep that in mind too.

I'm not too concerned about mice and rats as we have three cats and two dogs on the property, but the reason I wanted grass rather than plants was so that I could hose it down more easily to wash away bacteria.