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I began a project recently to convert my old unused greenhouse into a large outdoor aviary for my flock of parakeets. I thought I might share my progress and what I have built so far.
This is the greenhouse before I started:
It is built off the side of my garage with clear plastic roofing panels on a wood frame. The total size is 26 feet long by 10 feet wide and the ceiling height is approximately 8 feet tall.
The first step was removing the panels from the long side and replacing them with plywood siding and hardware cloth to improve ventilation.
I decided to keep the roof and side panels intact, because they allow in a lot of natural light and the solid roof protects against hawks.
Here you can see what it looks like inside the greenhouse. In this picture, I have already removed the raised bed on the left side and I am starting to take down the plastic paneling.
I decided to keep the second raised bed to allow an area for plants to grow. For the other side of the room, I plan on laying down a paver floor.
There was a faucet in the middle of the room which wasn't working for me, so I decided to move it against the wall. It looks a little better over here.
I also started working on a safety door and entryway to prevent birds from escaping.
Later on, I'll be adding a wall next to the door, so I will have a small storage and viewing area at the entrance of the aviary. Right now it is just a door.
For the floor, I added multiple layers, starting with a layer of hardware cloth to deter burrowing predators.
Crushed and compacted gravel for drainage.
Sand for leveling the pavers.
And finally the pavers themselves.
The floor took a lot of hard work and several weekends to complete, but I finally finished!
The next major project was planting the raised bed. I had already picked out a ton of bird-safe plants, so I started planting immediately.
In the raised bed, I planted a flowering currant, grafted dwarf apple tree, dwarf blueberry, dwarf fig, and a variety of herbs and peppers.
On the other side of the aviary, I have container plants, including citrus trees, lavender, nasturtiums, and a tray of sprouted bird seed.
To keep the birds out of the dirt and help with clean-up, I added pea gravel to the raised bed. And I positioned wrought iron trellises to provide perches.
Next, it was time to start adding more roosting spaces. Earlier, I had bought manzanita wood online to use as natural perches.
I trimmed and shaped the branches to my liking, then secured them to the ceiling joists and wall in various locations using stainless steel hardware. I also started adding toys and other things.
Most recently, I worked on framing out the entryway. Just needs some wire mesh and the entry will be done.
It is really starting to look like an aviary! If all goes well, I should be ready to add birds in a week or two.
This is the greenhouse before I started:
It is built off the side of my garage with clear plastic roofing panels on a wood frame. The total size is 26 feet long by 10 feet wide and the ceiling height is approximately 8 feet tall.
The first step was removing the panels from the long side and replacing them with plywood siding and hardware cloth to improve ventilation.
I decided to keep the roof and side panels intact, because they allow in a lot of natural light and the solid roof protects against hawks.
Here you can see what it looks like inside the greenhouse. In this picture, I have already removed the raised bed on the left side and I am starting to take down the plastic paneling.
I decided to keep the second raised bed to allow an area for plants to grow. For the other side of the room, I plan on laying down a paver floor.
There was a faucet in the middle of the room which wasn't working for me, so I decided to move it against the wall. It looks a little better over here.
I also started working on a safety door and entryway to prevent birds from escaping.
Later on, I'll be adding a wall next to the door, so I will have a small storage and viewing area at the entrance of the aviary. Right now it is just a door.
For the floor, I added multiple layers, starting with a layer of hardware cloth to deter burrowing predators.
Crushed and compacted gravel for drainage.
Sand for leveling the pavers.
And finally the pavers themselves.
The floor took a lot of hard work and several weekends to complete, but I finally finished!
The next major project was planting the raised bed. I had already picked out a ton of bird-safe plants, so I started planting immediately.
In the raised bed, I planted a flowering currant, grafted dwarf apple tree, dwarf blueberry, dwarf fig, and a variety of herbs and peppers.
On the other side of the aviary, I have container plants, including citrus trees, lavender, nasturtiums, and a tray of sprouted bird seed.
To keep the birds out of the dirt and help with clean-up, I added pea gravel to the raised bed. And I positioned wrought iron trellises to provide perches.
Next, it was time to start adding more roosting spaces. Earlier, I had bought manzanita wood online to use as natural perches.
I trimmed and shaped the branches to my liking, then secured them to the ceiling joists and wall in various locations using stainless steel hardware. I also started adding toys and other things.
Most recently, I worked on framing out the entryway. Just needs some wire mesh and the entry will be done.
It is really starting to look like an aviary! If all goes well, I should be ready to add birds in a week or two.
