Indoor aviary cohabiting

[Birdman696]

Hi, so I’ve recently decided to convert my new dog crate into a sort of indoor aviary as my dog doesn’t use it. It’s 94cm wide, 55cm wide and 61cm deep. And as there is an opening at the top i plan on putting a cage with similar height and depth measurements on top. I have 2 budgies, 2 cockatiels and a quail who I want to put in it. They’re a a very close knit flock and have been living free roam in their own room for about a year together with no problems at all, apart from the mess they create which is why I’ve decided to put them in a cage again. They usually sleep in an open cage at night, so I’m hoping it won’t Be too hard to reintegrate them to cage life. I was just wondering if this sounded like it’d be good enough for them? The cage has a deep base and I plan to add a mix of soil and maybe pine shavings to the bottom. Plant suggestions would be helpful also! (The birds have lived in a cage before briefly with no issues) If this doesn’t work out, as I know one of the budgies is a bit annoying, I might put them in a seperate cage and add maybe a bourke or pair of finches. The cockatiels have beautiful natures and have gotten along with everything from budgies to lorikeets, though ive never had finches before so not sure if this would be smart, given the size differences. Help appreciated!

 

[Feathery]

One thing you should consider is the bar spacing of the crate, not only the dimensions. Birds can get their heads stuck and injured or killed. Most larger dog crates will also have larger bar spacing.

Also pine shavings is not advised as the birds lungs cannot handle them. Your better to stick with paper. It can be changed daily for sanitary purposes but also allow you to see your birds droppings and watch for concerning changes.

It's also typically recommended not to mix species within the same cage. There are always the cases that can be exceptions, but generally speaking it's not a good idea.

I certainly wouldn't add any new bird species to your existing flock with the intentions of housing them together.

Personally, I think your best bet is to provide each species you have with their own cage if you want to move from an open range scenario to enclosures.

 

[Destiny]

Do you have any pictures of the aviary?

 

[FeatheredM]

It's also important to know what the crate is made out of.

 

[tka]

Those dimensions are a decently sized flight cage suitable for two birds who get plenty of time out of the cage. It's not big enough for five birds of different species, and definitely doesn't count as an indoor aviary that they can live in permanently.

I have Pionus which are a bit larger, but each of their individual cages are bigger than the one you are proposing to make.