Chicken coop & run as budgie aviary?

[allie136]

Hi guys can I use this originally built to house chickens as an aviary for my budgie instead?

It's the tallest one I've been able to find ( 60 inches tall ) it's a good flight/run space which could be used for a number of different animals including birds, but would the coop be okay for birds to get into and use?

I would remove the ramp that chickens need and add a perch by the entrance hole to the coop so they could get in that way. Then they have a good flying space and sheltered inside area too.

Any Thoughts please?

 

[Lovebirdie]

Seems fine as long as they can't escape the wire.

 

[Distaff]

daytime only, or 24/7?
Predators will burrow into it without a barrier on the floor. A determined raccoon will be able to tear through the wire.
Hardware cloth? Chickenwire? If chickenwire, the holes may be too large - depends. Also galvanized isn't good for cages, so I'm not sure about an aviary.

Fixing it up for budgies is doable, you just have to work around the drawbacks. Personally, I always prefer to build from scratch, but I know that isn't feasible for everyone.

 

[Lovebirdie]

You should change the chiken wire to stainless steal.

 

[Peachfaced]

My concern would be the wire (which was mentioned) and the door. In an aviary, it's a bit safer to have a double door set up, as it acts as a buffer in case one of the birds slips out with you when you open it.

 

[Distaff]

Good observation. For such a tiny walk-in, it really does need a second door. I've seen people hang those bead on strings curtans, and plastic sheeting cut into strips might work too, but there isn't a lot of square footage to do any of that with.

 

[karen256]

I agree that the mesh is probably too big for budgies, although it's impossible to tell from just the photos. But chickens only need mesh around 1", so that's probably what it is. You could replace the mesh. Since it has a nice framework, it wouldn't need to be a heavy aviary mesh designed to support its own weight. You could use stainless steel sparrow netting or even gamebird netting if the spacing is ok.
Predators are always a risk outdoors. If it's not on a solid flooring, like wood or cement, you should have mesh on the bottom, too. One good thing about converting to a smaller mesh is also raccoons won't be able to reach through the mesh. You still need to be sure they can't get in other ways, mesh/netting panels should be bolted on securely so they can't pull the mesh up, and you want to make sure the outside access doors for cleaning and collecting eggs can't be opened by raccoons as well. They can be very resourceful.

Edit: I missed that you are in the UK so I guess you don't need to worry about raccoons! You still want it to be sturdy enough to be predator proof but you probably don't have to worry about anything worse than cats which aren't nearly as bad as raccoons.

 

[allie136]

Thank you so much for the advice guys!

@Distaff @Lovebirdie @karen256 yes in UK no racoons. But as well as cats we get foxes roaming our gardens, so that is a big concern. The manufacturer has described the wire as '1/4 inch Sq rodent proof galvanised mesh' it's not chicken wire with those big holes in it which a budgie could get it's head stuck in. I know stainless steel is safest but galvanised is ok, she's in a cage now and never chews on the bars because I provide lots of other things she enjoys chewing on instead. It doesn't say anything about being fox-proof so I will email them to ask. The aviary is going straight onto concrete flooring so no risk of foxes digging under it.

@Distaff @Peachfaced I'm happy to compromise on a second safety door as I only plan to keep my one currently caged budgie in the aviary, with possibly one new budgie for companionship. So I'm fairly confident I can make sure they are far back from the door before I open it to go inside. Might also use a sheet to cover it as a barrier before opening, which I've read people do.

I'm looking at that area under neath where the inside house part is, would I need to fence that off? Or is it safe for budgies to go under there? They could only walk about and not fly up...maybe they just wouldn't go under there by choice anyway.

 

[webchirp]

Make sure that isn't built from cedar...cedar off gasses in addition to being toxic when chewed.

 

[karen256]

1/4" mesh should be a safe spacing. Galvanizing is always a concern since zinc is toxic - but you are right in that they will probably not be climbing on the sides or chewing on the mesh much if you put in lots of perches and toys.
I wouldn't worry about the space under the house, they probably won't go under there, but it won't hurt if they do.

Foxes will dig under fences, but on concrete you should be ok. I would check every mesh panel on the cage very thoroughly, make sure none are loose or with sharp edges. And check every few months, as normal wear and tear may loosen it as well.

A double door is the safest for access, but a shower curtain is much safer than nothing. If you are handy, you could all a small swing open door next to a shelf to place food/water dishes. That way you won't need to open the whole big door every time you are just changing the food and water, and your hands won't be full of dishes when you do want to use the big door.