• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Keeping blue and gold macaws outdoors

Destiny

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/6/20
Messages
2,088
Real Name
Destiny
If you are unfamiliar with wire guage, the lower guages are thicker wire. Higher guage is thinner wire.

maxresdefault.jpg

Chicken wire is typically around 20 guage. Heavy-duty fencing used to contain horses and goats is usually around 10 guage.

Macaws can snip through most fencing like it isn't even there. Heavier stuff might slow 'em down, but if they are being left unattended in the enclosure all day ... they have plenty of time to work on it.

Many pictures you will see of macaw aviaries on-line are actually for "play areas" or exercise pens. They are not intended to contain the macaw all year round - just for a few hours each day under direct supervision ... because the birds could cut their way out in fifteen minutes, if they got bored and wanted out.

This doesn't mean you can't contain a macaw using wire mesh, but you definitely need to give serious consideration to the quality (and thickness) of your materials. The gold standard for parrot aviaries is stainless steel mesh. For macaws, heavy duty stainless steel rope mesh is ideal.

Something like this:


Also, be sure to avoid using galvanized metal in your construction. The zinc coating is toxic to birds.
 

Shezbug

ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/28/18
Messages
25,837
Location
Vic, Australia
Real Name
Shez
It's gonna be inside a solid concrete wall
So if you have a solid concrete wall what is the chicken wire for? I don’t understand what you’re wanting to do with the chicken wire.
 

Mickey678

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/3/21
Messages
43
Real Name
Bilal
So if you have a solid concrete wall what is the chicken wire for? I don’t understand what you’re wanting to do with the chicken wire.
Say the shed is about 15 feet when you walk in they're will be a 5ft space, which I will utilise to keep my tortoises, and after that 5 ft space they're will be large divider made of mesh and then you can go into the aviary, so the whole shed isn't an aviary
 

Mickey678

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/3/21
Messages
43
Real Name
Bilal
If you are unfamiliar with wire guage, the lower guages are thicker wire. Higher guage is thinner wire.

View attachment 372244

Chicken wire is typically around 20 guage. Heavy-duty fencing used to contain horses and goats is usually around 10 guage.

Macaws can snip through most fencing like it isn't even there. Heavier stuff might slow 'em down, but if they are being left unattended in the enclosure all day ... they have plenty of time to work on it.

Many pictures you will see of macaw aviaries on-line are actually for "play areas" or exercise pens. They are not intended to contain the macaw all year round - just for a few hours each day under direct supervision ... because the birds could cut their way out in fifteen minutes, if they got bored and wanted out.

This doesn't mean you can't contain a macaw using wire mesh, but you definitely need to give serious consideration to the quality (and thickness) of your materials. The gold standard for parrot aviaries is stainless steel mesh. For macaws, heavy duty stainless steel rope mesh is ideal.

Something like this:


Also, be sure to avoid using galvanized metal in your construction. The zinc coating is toxic to birds.
Thanks so much I almost ordered galvanised
 

Pat H

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
9/27/19
Messages
2,396
Location
Apple River, IL
Real Name
Pat
Say the shed is about 15 feet when you walk in they're will be a 5ft space, which I will utilise to keep my tortoises, and after that 5 ft space they're will be large divider made of mesh and then you can go into the aviary, so the whole shed isn't an aviary
There is some disease that birds can catch from Reptiles...
 

Pat H

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
9/27/19
Messages
2,396
Location
Apple River, IL
Real Name
Pat
Q-- I'd rather keep my birds ALIVE-- someone told me that if you wash galvanized mesh wire with vinegar... that it would be ok then? Don't know if that is true or not, so just asking to clarify this so I won't make a future mistake... thx...
 

Destiny

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/6/20
Messages
2,088
Real Name
Destiny
The vinegar wash removes surface zinc and reduces the risk of heavy metal exposure, but doesn't completely remove it. The washing process should be repeated annually, to remove any fresh zinc that gets exposed over time. And you should monitor for signs of chewing or ingestion of chewed pieces. If the washed material is ingested, it can still be hazardous, since the coating will start to break down in the stomach, releasing zinc.

With softbills, the risk of chewing is low enough, I think it is fine to use washed galvanized mesh. With hookbills, especially large ones, it is a bigger risk.
 

Pat H

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
9/27/19
Messages
2,396
Location
Apple River, IL
Real Name
Pat
@Destiny -- GOOD INFO-- THANK YOU! So much I don't know!

Like I used to say about a more experience bird person in Nevada-- He'll have forgotten more than I'll ever know!
 
Top