Safe aviary materials suggestions

[TenthDoctor34]

I think materials dad suggested are unsafe from what I googled . He suggested tannalised treated wood I think is unsafe from what I googled
I am wary of treated woods but dad saying if untreated won't last.

And he also suggested galvanised mesh which also meant to be unsafe

So not sure what can use. Brother thinks animal safe will cost more but I dunno

 

[hiriki]

The extra cost is unavoidable imo. The birds are likely to chew any wood that you use, so treated (pressure treated, etc) is not an option. Maybe cedar, but the last thing you want is a bird chewing through structural wood that you paid a fortune for! Personally, I don't think I'd buy wood for an aviary, but idk. If your birds are small it might not be a big deal but if you have a macaw or cockatoo that could be a real problem.

As for the mesh, they WILL climb it, meaning they're going to put whatever metal you buy in their beaks. If you buy a metal that is toxic you have a very real risk of heavy metal toxicity, which is quickly deadly. Galvanized metals are coated in zinc which is toxic.

Safe & Toxic Metals For Pet Birds - CaringForFeathers

Quickly scroll through these lists to find out what metals are safe and toxic for pet birds so you know what you can and can't provide.

caringforfeathers.com

 

[Free as a bird]

From a metallurgical standpoint stainless steel is the most hygienic metal we have. It won't rust and its also the safest for our birds. The problem is that it's expensive, very expensive.

A cheaper option is nickel plated steel which is also safe for our birds but still fairly expensive.

The cheapest option is a cage that's painted. You want to be sure that the paint used is safe. Powder coat is thicker than sprayed paint and will resist chipping better.

 

[hiriki]

Personally I think you might be best off buying a kit. They're pretty pricey, but you might be able to find one in the ballpark of $700 US dollars but idk what country you're in so I can't exactly shop for you, idk where it would need to ship to.

This is an example: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Outdoor-...rches-Nest-Habitat/707886273?adsRedirect=true

If you're buying cedar or bird safe metal for the frame, it's going to get expensive quickly anyway. Just a thought--not sure how dead set on DIY your parents are.

 

[Keet_Krazy]

Treated wood should not be used if the bird has access to it, but even if they do not have access to it I believe I've heard about how the chemicals can leak out of the wood if wet or something so not something I'd risk.
As for the Galvanised you will hear a lot about the zinc toxicity. Stainless Steel is one of the safest options (though it will likely rust as most metal will when outside), but Gal isn't as bad as some say (still has risks but there are way to reduce these risks). Galvanised wire and metal has been used in aviaries for a very long time. Galvanised mesh should always be weathered! This can be done artificially by scrubbing it down with a stiff brush and vinegar or naturally by leaving out in the elements. This removes a lot of surface zinc. In addition your aviary should be big enough and set up so that your bird does not ever need to climb on the mesh. An aviary is very different to an indoor cage, they shouldn't need to be climbing on it.