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Pictures My indoor aviary progress, safety, ideas and suggestions welcome!

dollfish

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Hello everyone!

I've nearly finished the panels of the aviary / room partition for Astro. This will be Astro's play arra when I'm away or working. No more cage, except for occasional times where I might need her in a cage. YAY!
:bounce4:
So here is what it looks like. I'm going to keep this post updated and to talk about possible safety concerns and ideas.

It is still very messy, everything you see will go out of there and there will be hanging branches, ropes, nets and possibly the cage. I'm planning on keeping the floor as it is or I might cover it with PVC.

I don't know what to do about the window. I'd like her away from it as she may chew the plastic lining and get tangled in the curtain fibers if she chews it. My plan is to make a rope mesh and hang it in front and secure it on all sides. Is there anything else that I should be vary of as Astro will be in here unsupervised?

20200823_191053.jpg
 

dollfish

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It is insane how big of a project I got myself into. It is actually about the same size of our bedroom with my boyfriend. We are moving the bedroom into this room though. Astro will continue to sleep in the travel cage but in another room.
 

Ali

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Oh, yeah, about the window, could you make a screen covering and replace the curtains with blinds that can be behind the covering?
 

dollfish

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Oh, yeah, about the window, could you make a screen covering and replace the curtains with blinds that can be behind the covering?
My boyfriend has only just bought these black out curtains so I'd like to keep it with curtains if possible. What kijd of covering were you thinking? I was thinking of closely knit thick rope mesh with hooks on all sides of the walls. So it would also be detachable if needed. That just makes it so that I have to have the curtains ridiculously short or tuck them behind the radiator.
 

Ali

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My boyfriend has only just bought these black out curtains so I'd like to keep it with curtains if possible. What kijd of covering were you thinking? I was thinking of closely knit thick rope mesh with hooks on all sides of the walls. So it would also be detachable if needed. That just makes it so that I have to have the curtains ridiculously short or tuck them behind the radiator.
Can you post a link/picture to what you mean, I am trying to envisage what you mean
 

Ulis_Beast

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I see it! I think it's a great idea. Especially the detachable part.
If you can make sure she won't be able to undo them (unscrew the hooks in the wall too) and aren't toxic..
I can't see from the picture.. Are there any power outlets in the aviary? That would be my no1 concern. But you've probably thought of this. :)

(Loki is actually really good at climbing curtains (and destroying them:roflmao:) but it is always supervised. He knows how to detangle.

Bird poo really isn't all that easy on the hardwood flooring, I learned the hard way, I was lazy and didn't immediately wipe a poop off, I left it overnight, it and now have this nice coroded stain in it :eek::roflmao:. If I were you I'd cover it with something.

Personally I'd still use the cage to feed/sleep/similar.. Life is such a rollercoaster.. you never know if it might come in handy that your bird is used to being in the cage some too one day.

Astro is one very lucky bird!!:heart:
 

dollfish

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I see it! I think it's a great idea. Especially the detachable part.
If you can make sure she won't be able to undo them (unscrew the hooks in the wall too) and aren't toxic..
I can't see from the picture.. Are there any power outlets in the aviary? That would be my no1 concern. But you've probably thought of this. :)

(Loki is actually really good at climbing curtains (and destroying them:roflmao:) but it is always supervised. He knows how to detangle.

Bird poo really isn't all that easy on the hardwood flooring, I learned the hard way, I was lazy and didn't immediately wipe a poop off, I left it overnight, it and now have this nice coroded stain in it :eek::roflmao:. If I were you I'd cover it with something.

Personally I'd still use the cage to feed/sleep/similar.. Life is such a rollercoaster.. you never know if it might come in handy that your bird is used to being in the cage some too one day.

Astro is one very lucky bird!!:heart:
Yes, I will use closed hooks and those bird chain thingos which I can never remember the name of, you know those twisty lockable things for toys.

There are no power outlets but worse, two wires sticking out from the wall for a light fixture. I need to cover that up somehow. I'm thinking plexiglass again.

I'll definitely use the cage for putting food in and also I will keep usong the cage for mkre variety and outdoor time.

:smileflower:

Can you post a link/picture to what you mean, I am trying to envisage what you mean
You know just one of those bird nets but a finer mesh so that Astro can't get to the other side without doing some serious chewing.
 
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Destiny

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I would be concerned that the bird could chew through a rope mesh. For covering the glass windows in my outdoor aviary, I used wire mesh (hardware cloth) stapled to a wood frame. It was sturdy and rigid, so the birds can't wiggle behind it and end up trapped.

If you want it to be removable, you could mount the wire mesh on a frame and attach the frame to the wall using screws or similar hardware. That way, your window frame is not damaged and when you need to access the window, you just unscrew the frame from the wall.
 

dollfish

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I would be concerned that the bird could chew through a rope mesh. For covering the glass windows in my outdoor aviary, I used wire mesh (hardware cloth) stapled to a wood frame. It was sturdy and rigid, so the birds can't wiggle behind it and end up trapped.

If you want it to be removable, you could mount the wire mesh on a frame and attach the frame to the wall using screws or similar hardware. That way, your window frame is not damaged and when you need to access the window, you just unscrew the frame from the wall.
I could maybe use hinges and make a second window of some sort in front of them. I really like that Astro's room has windows like this because this side gets sunlight all winter. :dance2:
 

StephBrom

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Yes, I will use closed hooks and those bird chain thingos which I can never remember the name of, you know those twisty lockable things for toys.

There are no power outlets but worse, two wires sticking out from the wall for a light fixture. I need to cover that up somehow. I'm thinking plexiglass again.

I'll definitely use the cage for putting food in and also I will keep usong the cage for mkre variety and outdoor time.

:smileflower:



You know just one of those bird nets but a finer mesh so that Astro can't get to the other side without doing some serious chewing.
If you're worried about Astro getting through the netting you could always use a knitted wire mesh instead? I used this one for my entire outdoor aviary: www.clearmesh.co.uk (other manufacturers are available), and it has pretty much the same look and feel as plastic netting but just more robust.
 

JLcribber

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This area will always be a work in progress. You don't really know what to protect or change because Astro hasn't spent any time in it yet. He will teach you what works and what doesn't. eg: If he doesn't bother the trim then there's no need to do anything. If he does then the trim is going to need to replaced with lumber he can chew.
 

dollfish

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They make seagrass woven curtains, all natural except the roll up rod. I'd buy the roll up and redesign it. ;)
Do you mean get the curtain and and redesign the rod that comes with it?

If you're worried about Astro getting through the netting you could always use a knitted wire mesh instead? I used this one for my entire outdoor aviary: www.clearmesh.co.uk (other manufacturers are available), and it has pretty much the same look and feel as plastic netting but just more robust.
This is such a cool idea. What kind of birds did you use it for? Is there any potential for fraying which can produce tiny pointy tips?

This area will always be a work in progress. You don't really know what to protect or change because Astro hasn't spent any time in it yet. He will teach you what works and what doesn't. eg: If he doesn't bother the trim then there's no need to do anything. If he does then the trim is going to need to replaced with lumber he can chew.
I agree with you on this. I haven't done anything with the floor trim either. I just want to observe for a while what she takes a liking for until I can safely leave her unsupervised. Luckily I have started an online business where I work from home so there is plently of time to observe. Unfortunately replacing the trim is not possible since this is a rental flat but I'm sure the great minds of Avian Avenue will come together for a solution if my close-knit cargo net idea doesn't work.
 

dollfish

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Here is another safety issue I'll have to deal with. These are on the outside but they are pointy ends. How can I hide these sensibly, considering Astro will be climbing on the outside of these panels as well? My boyfriend suggested drilling extra holes to bend them into but I'm afraid Astro will pick at them. She absolutely loves taking stuff out of stuff, especially shiny stuff. :roflmao: :roflmao: 15983744064254554160102307367353.jpg
 

Ali

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Here is another safety issue I'll have to deal with. These are on the outside but they are pointy ends. How can I hide these sensibly, considering Astro will be climbing on the outside of these panels as well? My boyfriend suggested drilling extra holes to bend them into but I'm afraid Astro will pick at them. She absolutely loves taking stuff out of stuff, especially shiny stuff. :roflmao: :roflmao: View attachment 351337
Get a hammer and bash the ends into the wood
 

Kiwi & Co.

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Here is another safety issue I'll have to deal with. These are on the outside but they are pointy ends. How can I hide these sensibly, considering Astro will be climbing on the outside of these panels as well? My boyfriend suggested drilling extra holes to bend them into but I'm afraid Astro will pick at them. She absolutely loves taking stuff out of stuff, especially shiny stuff. :roflmao: :roflmao: View attachment 351337
Maybe screw another smaller piece of wood over each attaching wire?
 

dollfish

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Actually I think I will drill holes into little pieces of wood to stick the wire into and then glue them over the openings instead of using nails or screws so there is less shiny stuff to pick at.

There are so many of these, just covering them will be a project of its own.. :dead:
 
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