New to forum a lot of spare space

[Mikeyn]

Hi all

I am completely new to birds but have a lot of experience with other animals (snakes, lizards and the hardest one a 300 gallon reef setup).

My reef setup was in a garage at the end of my garden and I have recently decided to move on from this massively rewarding hobby. Problem being not much interaction with fish and did get a bit boring (fish and corals don't do a lot).

Looking after birds is something I have always wanted to do (especially rainbow lorikeets) and now is the time I think. Although it does depend on one thing. Can I keep them in the garage. The garage is large (25 foot by 20 foot and 15 feet high) and will be boarding out and made completely safe. Heating is the first question, should I look at heating the garage especially during the winter months?

Please ignore my ignorance about birds, this might be a terrible idea but I thought id ask before mistakes were made. I have always been a promoter of bigger is better and I thought that a garage of this size would be great for a collection of birds. I was planning on creating an enclosure for a dwarf caiman but my wide declined with passion. Birds she can do not crocs.

If I'm well of the mark and this is a bad idea then I won't do it.

Any advice would hugely appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

 

[Captsteve]

I guess the first thing is, Where do you live? (Heat)(Cooling) May need heat and A/C.

If you keep them in the garage, how much interaction will they get? They need lots of attention and time (6-8 hrs. a day)

What do you consider a collection? Birds are expensive to keep. The diets alone can be costly and time consuming.
Then there is foraging toys, $5-$25 each and depending on the bird can last months or minutes. They will need a lot of these toys to keep them busy and happy.

And this is just the beginning. then you have Vets. and of course the ever present NOISE!!!! I hope you don't have neighbors. A large flock can get you run out of town on a rail!

Now for the good.

There is nothing better than have these beautiful creatures to love. They can brighten your day if you let them.

 

[weco]

Mike, you are very wise to heed the wishes of a wife (cold shoulders in winter time are often harder to warm than we first imagine) and unless you are thinking about finches or some specie that requires little or no interaction, you would be also wise to research the various companion parrots you might be interested in and develop a short list, then make your decision from that.....

Very few of us were born into bird situations and all of us have had questions at one time or another.....you may find answers to many of your questions in the forums archives or there's usually someone around to answer a question.....suggestions abound, you'll just have to figure out which ones will be best for you and/or your application.....

Your garage would make a good bird room, though, I'd first figure out exactly what I really wanted.....you'll have an expense of time & $$$ converting a garage into a suitable aviary, then you'll have an expense of time & $$$ suitably heating & air conditioning this space.....be sure to consult a HVAC expert before you try tapping into your existing heating & air system.....

Good luck.....

 

[MissJD]

Welcome Mike! As mentioned above, the first thing you would need to do is research different bird species and sub-species to come up with a shortlist of realistic and practical options. I say realistic, because there are many factors to take into account.

As stated by those above me, you will need to consider how much time and money you are able to invest in your feather-family. There is the initial outlay to convert the garage into a suitable aviary (ie; making sure the birds have flowing fresh air and sunlight) as well as the heating and cooling requirements (It can be a good idea to look for a bird species which is native to your area, as I imagine they would be better equipped to deal with the natural climate there). Then there is the ongoing cost of food (a seed only diet is not recommended), toys, vet bills and replacement perches, etc.

You also need to consider how much time you can spend with your birds, not just in the immediate future but for the rest of your life. Some species can live 80+ years in captivity. If you aren't sure that you can dedicate a large portion of your time every day, you may wish to consider starting off smaller and gaining some hands-on experience before making the move to a large bird (ie; cockatoo).

CaptSteve is very correct in saying you need to consider the noise factor as well. Larger birds, or multiple birds can create a constant racket which your neighbors may not appreciate. It can also affect you - My sleeping pattern has been forcibly altered by my Galah and Major Mitchell. They love to do a morning dance as the sun is coming up and this beautiful display also comes with very loud screeching. Sleep-ins do not exist in this household anymore.

Depending on the bird you choose, you will also have to come to terms with the probability of injury to yourself. Even small birds like budgies will bite you if they are frightened or stressed. Sometimes it may seem to you like they have attacked you without reason, but there is always a reason. Most people can withstand a budgie or weiro attack without batting an eyelid; Cockatoos, however, can land you (or a family member or visitor) in the Emergency Room with deep cuts and gouges, crushed or broken fingers, etc. If a 'too goes for your face, plastic surgery is then on the cards. As I said, a bird won't attack you for no reason but we humans aren't always the greatest at recognizing the signs of a stressed or agitated animal.

A larger bird or cockatoo is a life-long commitment. If you want to go travelling in the future, or move overseas - what will you do with the bird? If he has built a relationship with you, re-homing him can cause very serious issues like fretting and feather-plucking and can sometimes result in his premature death.

On the topic of death, and I feel a bit morbid saying this, I believe it is also important to consider what will happen after you die. I am quite young, only 25 years old but still very aware that my Major Mitchell may outlive me. Therefore I have a responsibility to ensure that there is someone familiar and friendly to him that is capable and willing to care for him when I'm not here anymore.

Phew, I didn't mean to write such a long post I'm sorry.. !!

Please don't take this as discouragement, having a feather-family is such a rewarding lifestyle. But for your own sake and the birds', take some time to consider all aspects of bird ownership before making your final decision.

And please, keep us updated on what you decide, and if you do go ahead, we would love to see your setup and meet your feather-babies!

 

[Echo]

I depends also on your garage itself. I don't like a few things about most garages to house birds in ....First, lighting : birds need light and the more natural the better, so consider how many windows you have.
Next is the door, does it get tight enough at the bottom to prevent predators from coming in.....or scorpions, snakes etc. depending where you live?
Lastly I find that when the birds are out of their cage, they need CONSTANT supervision! Will you be able to keep an eye on them if they are in the garage and you are in the house?

 

[MikeyTN]

Welcome to the forum Mike!!!

Lorikeets are super messy birds, I hope you know that....They're diet specific birds, I feed mine fruits and veggies along with lory nectar on a daily basis. He gets the occasional lory nuggets, but mainly the fresh stuffs. And I won't get into the garage detail as numerous post been asking about it already.