Designing a Bird Safe Room?

[TheDukeofGoodCleanFun]

Hi everyone, I wanted to get some opinions from the conure brain trust!

We're going to be building a house over the next year, and we've decided to dedicate a room to being an indoor aviary. We're going to need it to house our two parakeets, and two conures (we rescued another last week!) - we're okay with keeping the budgies together, but the conures should probably be kept apart for hormonal reasons.

Does anyone have any experience with setting up something like this? Specifically, I'm looking for advice on how to:

- Guard electrical outlets, light fixtures, windows from nibbling beaks

- Provide the necessary UV light, heat, entertainment, and clean air (we're currently using UV bulbs, infrared heaters, an iPod w/ speakers, and an air purifier - all of which I'm not sure how I could keep in a bird room unsupervised if they had free rein)

- Provide adequate perching and foraging spaces/surfaces

- Use materials (i.e. paint and flooring) that would be bird-safe

- Keep the birds separate, while still giving them enough room to fly around and be birds


I'm really wondering if a custom built, room-sized cage would be the best solution. Does anyone have any good sources for these?

Any and all commentary is welcome!

 

[roxynoodle]

Someone recently posted in the Do It Yourself area of the forum some huge primate/aviary cages that were quite reasonably priced that could very well solve all those issues you mentioned. It was in a thread about building an indoor aviary.

As for lighting, the easiest might be track lighting or even recessed lighting. Chances are the birds wouldn't be flying up to recessed lighting as there would be nowhere to land.

Electrical cords are very difficult to hide. Even if you hide them under flooring, the birds could still pull them up, and of course some of it goes up the wall into the outlets. The only thing I can think of would be too build wire mesh cages around them that attach to the wall. Same with the air cleaner.

I would suggest a tile floor with a drain in the middle for easiest clean up.

Hope that is somewhat helpful. With my old farm house I don't really have any way of making a room like that without putting on an addition. It is a lovely idea though and great idea for a new house.

 

[FutureDVM]

I believe this is the link Roxynoodle was referring to: Bird Cages and Primate Cages, Modular Panel Design 1 inch mesh openings by Bird Cages Direct.net

 

[suebee]

i'd love to be able to build such a room for my nut, an you have such lucky birdies

please when it is done post an up date with pics

oh you could also build like a rock table with running water as a bathing area

look into cheap disposable bird safe plants (or start some off yourself now, so you know there pestiwhatsit free)

 

[Echo]

I am putting a 4 seasons room for the birds that should be done by this week. I have big windows, tall ceilings and skylights. I used tile flooring and at first I considered a drain, but for resale value wasn't a good idea. I invested in a good steam vac instead. To prevent window chewing, I am putting granite window sills. The windows do not have framing but instead steel guards all around(hidden with compound material). I bought a paint that is washable/scrubbable. The room has pocket doors going into the kitchen, the music is there and the birds can hear it without going on it. The air purifier (Rabbit Air) has a stand, I don't think I will hang it, they have not touched it in their current room.
I put a AC/Heat unit high up on the wall close to the ceiling, the wiring is in the wall.
I cut a tree down from my yard and am building a playgym with it.
My UV lights are floor stands. They have never gone on the floor to chew the cords/outlets.

Work in progress!!

 

[roxynoodle]

Wow, Echo, that is so wonderful! Your birds will be so happy! By metal guards for the windows, do you mean something that goes over the window so they can't fly into it?

 

[stephend]

- Guard electrical outlets, light fixtures, windows from nibbling beaks

I would get baby covers or stainless steel doors for the outles.
I would do recessed lighting or stainless steel light fixtures.
Windows should not be a problem as long as there is a screen, I would personally install a stainless steel mesh over the windows.

- Provide the necessary UV light, heat, entertainment, and clean air (we're currently using UV bulbs, infrared heaters, an iPod w/ speakers, and an air purifier - all of which I'm not sure how I could keep in a bird room unsupervised if they had free rein)

UV bulbs should be fine, and depending on your climate, and window orientation may be unnessecary.

The electronic equipment would likely need you to construct some sort of housing for it.

- Provide adequate perching and foraging spaces/surfaces

I would get natural perches from a pet store and mount them to the walls and also build a few stands of them.

- Use materials (i.e. paint and flooring) that would be bird-safe

Not sure about material, but definately something that is easy to wash down.

- Keep the birds separate, while still giving them enough room to fly around and be birds

I would put in/build small enclosures for the individual groups of birds. A larger one with a small entrance that the budgies can share and a pair of smaller ones for the conures.

I wish I could do the same thing, maybe in a couple of years.

 

[Enjru]

Maybe you can have a window that, when opened, connects to an outdoor aviary, so that, in good weather, you can let the birds out to play in the sun, and also, let the fresh air into the bird room for ventilation.

 

[Echo]

Wow, Echo, that is so wonderful! Your birds will be so happy! By metal guards for the windows, do you mean something that goes over the window so they can't fly into it?

Thanks. Yes it is gonna be nice for them. For the windows it is steel all around the edges of the wall so that they can't destroy it if they perch on the sill and want to chew. Hard to explain. Kinda like the wall is reinforced around the window opening so that they can't destroy the Sheetrock that makes the window.

 

[Echo]

Maybe you can have a window that, when opened, connects to an outdoor aviary, so that, in good weather, you can let the birds out to play in the sun, and also, let the fresh air into the bird room for ventilation.

That would be so great!!!

Also I wanted to mention that even with a bird proof room, I do not leave them unattended. Always keep an eye on them. They also are safely back in their cages when I'm not home.....

 

[TheDukeofGoodCleanFun]

Thanks, everyone, for all the comments!

I'm thinking that Echo's setup sounds fantastic, though I wouldn't trust my guys to not chew on cords when left unsupervised. Also, I'm not sure how I'd keep them separated. Maybe one bird each day would get access to the room, while the others stayed in their cages, and rotated turns?

 

[Echo]

The cords I have belong to the sun lights and heated perches and are close to the ground. I don't know, maybe I am lucky but none of my birds ever spend time on the ground so i never had any problem with them chewing on wires.