Getting the correct Bird Aviary
A bird aviary is the most important piece of equipment you’ll need to purchase for your new bird. Keeping your bird safe and healthy will require a suitable aviary. There are many types of aviaries, selecting the right one can be difficult for the new bird keeper.. So how do you choose the right one?
Firstly, research the species of bird you intend to keep. If you are going to keep any type of parakeet, cockatiel or some other long tailed bird species, you will need a long aviary so that your bird can get enough exercise. Preferably, the bird aviary will be long enough for the bird to fly comfortably from one side to the other. A bird with a heavyset body, such as a lovebird or a Senegal parrot, gets good deal of exercise by climbing around in the aviary. A taller than it is wide aviary is better suited to these birds.
You should then consider the size of the aviary. While generally you should plan to purchase the biggest aviary you can afford for your bird, keep in mind a large open aviary will be terrifying for a new born bird. Young birds can have trouble locating their food and water cups. If it is affordable using a smaller bird aviary for your baby bird’s first few months and then changing to a bigger aviary when it is older would be a good idea.
Keep in mind when you’re choosing your bird’s aviary the spacing between the aviary bars. A good looking $400 bird aviary will not be very sussessful if the bird can fit through the bars! When considering using an aviary with wire mesh it will be important to compare the sizing of the hole in the mesh to the size of your birds head. An aviary constructed from one inch mesh would be the perfect size for a cockatiel to get his head through. Cockatiels have been known to bend their necks into a ‘U’ shape and stick their heads into a different hole when pulling their bodies back through the bars.
Once you have decided upon the size and bar spacing of your aviary, it would be a good idea to consider some other design components. Looking at the cage tray. When you pull it out to clean it, is there a grate in the aviary to prevent the bird from escaping? Ensure the tray is deep enough to catch most of the mess your bird makes? If you still have a deep tray but there is no cage apron you may find the bird will still scatter a lot of seed hulls and feathers on the floor. You can put a plastic apron base on your aviary or have a built in metal apron which is a good option.
Finally, do not forget to have a look at the aviary cups. The cups should be easily accessible without having to reach into the aviary’s main door. If you are buying a bird aviary for a larger bird, the cups should actually bolt to the aviary unless you want to spend every morning and afternoon for the next 50 years reaching for cups that your bird has flung onto the bottom of the bird aviary
If you a replacing a bird aviary for an older parrot type bird, some owners have told me it’s crucial to get a bird cage of the same colour. They believe that a bird that is familiar with a white painted aviary, will not be happy with a metal cloured one.
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