Indoor Aviary Help

[Amanda6]

I have some finches and have recently purchased an old china cabinet. So far, I've cleaned it and painted it and put a covering on the back mirror. It's a good sized aviary for the finches. I need some advice on finishing it. I planned on putting linolium on the bottom for easy cleaning. I was thinking of getting some small natural branches and wanted to stick them into the bottom base of the china cabinet rather than on the sides of it. Also have some small wiring I plan to use for the sides and doors of the cabinet. Other than that, does anyone have any advice or ideas on what else to do to the aviary? I want it to be easily cleaned. Hopefully have it where the seed doesn't fly outside of the aviary and make a mess. Small doors to access food and water without any birds flying out. Want to put a uva/uvb light at the top of the aviary as well. Should I worry about the bulb getting too hot? Any help is greatly appreciated! Open to any and all ideas and advice

 

[JLcribber]

Show us a picture

 

[Amanda6]

Show us a picture

 

[karen256]

It looks very nice for some small finches to fly around in.
A lot of cages of that type will have food dishes placed low in the cage and then have glass or plexiglass enclosing the bottom 4-6" to keep seeds hulls in the cage. But these were cages with pull out trays and I think the lack of a pull out tray may be a problem for you. If you have to open the cage way up and reach in to wipe out a linolium liner, the finches will probably be scared and fly out and it will be extra hassle for you.
If it were me, I would cut out the opening on one of the side doors a little bigger and add a slide out tray that fits the cage exactly and add a little hinged door there so you can slide the tray out for much easier cleaning. I know there are these plastic sheets people use for making the bases of homemade guinea pig cages that would probably work very well for making a finch cage tray.

 

[Amanda6]

Update on the antique china cabinet that my girlfriend and I turned into a finch aviary!


Potentially still adding things and taking things out then adding the birds tomorrow!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Very nice!!

 

[finchly]

Very nice! I will see if I can find a photo of mine. It is a 'real' aviary but it might give you some ideas.

The light bulbs do not get hot. Most people have screen across the top and lay the light fixture up there. I have one like that and one hanging inside. The finches are fine; 2 of them hang out on the cord.

You will love having them in a cabinet.

Oh -- I like to put in fake greenery, as they eat everything live. They hide in it and sometimes sleep in it.

 

[finchly]

 

[Amanda6]

Very nice! I will see if I can find a photo of mine. It is a 'real' aviary but it might give you some ideas.

The light bulbs do not get hot. Most people have screen across the top and lay the light fixture up there. I have one like that and one hanging inside. The finches are fine; 2 of them hang out on the cord.

You will love having them in a cabinet.

Oh -- I like to put in fake greenery, as they eat everything live. They hide in it and sometimes sleep in it.

Thank you! I would love to see a picture of your aviary! I wasn't worried about the light getting hot. It's a lamp that was mounted to the inside ceiling of the cabinet and has a uva/b light in it (also has a covering over the bulb so that the finches cannot touch it). I have put in some fake plastic vines but that's it so far.
I'm always open to suggestions and ideas

 

[Amanda6]

Looks nice! What do you use for food water dishes?
Do the finches seem to poop on the foliage much?

 

[finchly]

They don't poop on the foliage much. Mostly that spider plant, but I just pull it out and wash it in the sink.

I have feeders hanging on the back (we cut out the back and replaced it with chicken wire, then covered the wire with the shreds and plants you see). They aren't very interested in eating there, so I put 2 or 3 bowls on the floor with food. Also, I'll have to get another photo, they were not drinking from the drinker on the wall. So we set some down low, but they got really dirty. So hubby put a little wood roof and I slide the drinker under it.

I also tried a small water fountain in there. It looked very cool but got too much poop in it. If you were up to washing it out every single day it'd be ok.

You can put pine shavings on the floor (oven dried only) or newspaper. We change the papers every day, it's no biggie.

 

[Amanda6]

They don't poop on the foliage much. Mostly that spider plant, but I just pull it out and wash it in the sink.

I have feeders hanging on the back (we cut out the back and replaced it with chicken wire, then covered the wire with the shreds and plants you see). They aren't very interested in eating there, so I put 2 or 3 bowls on the floor with food. Also, I'll have to get another photo, they were not drinking from the drinker on the wall. So we set some down low, but they got really dirty. So hubby put a little wood roof and I slide the drinker under it.

I also tried a small water fountain in there. It looked very cool but got too much poop in it. If you were up to washing it out every single day it'd be ok.

You can put pine shavings on the floor (oven dried only) or newspaper. We change the papers every day, it's no biggie.

Yeah, I am probably going to put a few different kinds of feed and water stations in there in varying places. Haha, I bet a water fountain would look really cool but cleaning it all the time wouldn't be as enjoyable lol. We have a custom cut vinyl flooring piece on the bottom an will just clean it daily.

 

[finchly]

That's a great idea. Mine is a wood bottom...maybe I'll investigate adding vinyl.

Be sure to share photos once you're done! Love that cabinet!

 

[hoot]

This looks really awesome! I'd love to do something like that but can't seem to get my act together. What I really want is hubby to do it for me, but you know. Your birds are probably in there by now, do they like it?

 

[Amanda6]

This looks really awesome! I'd love to do something like that but can't seem to get my act together. What I really want is hubby to do it for me, but you know. Your birds are probably in there by now, do they like it?

Love it!!

 

[expressmailtome]

You both did great jobs!

 

[Amanda6]

You both did great jobs!

My girlfriend (Kristen) pretty much did the whole thing lol. I will tell her you said so.

 

[finchly]

Yep yours is really pretty Amanda. I like it a lot!

Mine cannot fit through certain doors because it is so big. If anyone reading this wants to know....measure the depth of an aviary before you buy it from CL or wherever. One person had paid thousands and was selling on CL because it would only go into her garage, nowhere else. Mine is 39" deep. Too large for most doorways or turning close corners.

 

[Amanda6]

Yep yours is really pretty Amanda. I like it a lot!

Mine cannot fit through certain doors because it is so big. If anyone reading this wants to know....measure the depth of an aviary before you buy it from CL or wherever. One person had paid thousands and was selling on CL because it would only go into her garage, nowhere else. Mine is 39" deep. Too large for most doorways or turning close corners.

Haha, yes! Measuring isn't key! I measured first so that I knew what size to look for.

 

[Amanda6]

Haha, yes! Measuring isn't key! I measured first so that I knew what size to look for.

Sorry "is" not "isn't"