Advice anyone

[jw]

I'm just starting out and looking for advice
Iv got a 6x4 pent shed with the door on the short side
I'm planning to put flight area to the front this will
measure 6 ft x2 ft X 6 ft high
There will be a door to the flight area on the left of
the flight area as you look at it
And a hatch to the left so the birds can fly into a
inside flight area
I'm I doing the right thing here or can anyone
Give me any advice or post pics so I can take
some ideas from them

[suesbird]

It's quiet on here today but someone will be around soon to give you some advice. And welcome from Jo, Pip and me.

[jw]

Thanks
Any advice would be appreciated as want to get it
Correct first time

[Deleted]

Apr 14, 2017 16:35:49 GMT jw said:

I'm just starting out and looking for advice
Iv got a 6x4 pent shed with the door on the short side
I'm planning to put flight area to the front this will
measure 6 ft x2 ft X 6 ft high
There will be a door to the flight area on the left of
the flight area as you look at it
And a hatch to the left so the birds can fly into a
inside flight area
I'm I doing the right thing here or can anyone
Give me any advice or post pics so I can take
some ideas from them

Hi jw
I'm not sure where the door  is on your shed but I presume it's in a similar position to the one in this photo?



If your shed is similar to the one above then I suggest you build a mesh partition half way down your shed (half way from the door you enter), obviously you will have to incorporate a safety door into the partition, please note that the wire mesh used must be thoroughly scrubbed a few times using vinegar, then dry in a sunny position, this will remove toxins on the wire that are harmful to birds.

One of your biggest concerns is keeping out any rodents as they will soon chew their way into the shed, I advise you to lay some slabs on the inside floor of the shed, this helps keep out vermin and also makes it alot easier cleaning up the bird poop. You could lay some lino on top of the slabs which would make it easy to remove, hose down and disinfect.

Please don't forget that female budgies are real little chewers especially when they're in breeding condition, they are very capable of chewing a hole in a shed in less than a day, I don't know if you have plans to insulate the shed but either way I advise an extra layer on the inside of your shed for their own safety.
I don't know if there is a window in your shed, hopefully there is an opening window in which case secure some mesh on the inside of the window, ideally you should be able to open the window but your birds can't escape. ventilation is important as it can get very hot and stuffy in a shed.

Lastly perches, I put brand new perches in my old aviary (wooden dowel) went to work, came home and they were in pieces, so I advise you to source some apple tree branches of varying diameters, they last alot longer and the birds love to strip the bark off and chew it, they get nutrients from the bark, just scrub the branches first and preferably bake them in a moderate oven for 30 minutes, the branches may have been sprayed with pesticides so you need to make sure their clean and bird friendly, it's worth doing because the branches will last for 12 months easily.

Sorry for the very long post, just trying to help and maybe give you a few ideas
Pete

[Deleted]

Just to clarify jw, when your birds are in the shed they need to be as far away from the main door as possible, budgies will quickly become ill when subjected to a draught

[jw]

Thanks for all the info yes it's same shed with a outside flight area built to the front of it.
I will put window to the rear out with the inside flight area
With Galvinised wire on it for ventilation
I will definitely take your advice regarding slabs on the inside floor area.
I was planning to keep 5 pair for the moment so it should be big enough I hope

[Deleted]

Apr 14, 2017 18:21:31 GMT jw said:

Thanks for all the info yes it's same shed with a outside flight area built to the front of it.
I will put window to the rear out with the inside flight area
With Galvinised wire on it for ventilation
I will definitely take your advice regarding slabs on the inside floor area.
I was planning to keep 5 pair for the moment so it should be big enough I hope

If your birds are going to be allowed in an outside flight I suggest you worm them twice a year because their is a chance they will come into contact with wild bird droppings or other nasties, I used to use a product made by Harkers, they mainly produce the liquid for pigeons but they do one for budgies, finches and canary's which I can recommend, really easy just add it to the drinking water for a week if I remember correctly, it's definitely better to be safe than sorry.
Also you will have to treat them for mites more often with them being outside in a flight, or if you can get them onto vegetables simply add a couple of crushed garlic cloves to the soft food, that kills the mites because the garlic is excreted through the birds skin.
If you don't want to be lifting heavy slabs into a shed you could use floor tiles instead.

Lastly, once you've got everything sorted get yourself a cheap cylinder vac, they are invaluable for keeping the aviary/ shed clean, makes cleaning up so much easier.

Can I just say this, I'm not telling you what to do, sometimes I can come across as being a bit abrupt because I'm passionate about birds and their welfare, I'm just trying to help through my experiences

[jw]

I'll be keeping a wee diary on all the information you are giving me as you have been there and done it
So all info is important to me

[Deleted]

You mentioned you are going to be keeping 5 pairs, have you any plans to breed them in the future? If you are going to be breeding any of your birds preparation is paramount, if your birds are of breeding age it can take 6 months of excellent care to get them in peak condition, if you are a relative novice with breeding I would recommend you read the many excellent threads on here so you can ready yourself and your birds, budgies may be relatively cheap but they still deserve the very best care and attention

[jw]

Iv been doing a lot of reading on here regarding breeding
and my first priority is the condition of the birds I breed
It important to me also

[jw]

Iv also read on here the birds don't need any heating
but iv got my doubts on this one
As I live in Scotland our climate is not the best

[Deleted]

Apr 14, 2017 19:19:49 GMT jw said:

Iv also read on here the birds don't need any heating
but iv got my doubts on this one
As I live in Scotland our climate is not the best

I live in South Yorkshire so I never needed any heating in my flight or breeding shed, what I did do was put clear perspex sheets on the flight in winter, the perspex wasn't cheap but it meant they could use the flight all year round.
You can get electric tube heaters which are excellent but you obviously need a power source outside which I didn't have, for lighting I used led solar lights with the panels mounted on the roof of the shed, you just have to remember to clear any snow off the roof or you don't get lights.
You will soon tell if your birds are cold because they fluff their feathers up to trap body heat in the feathers.

[jw]

Good info
I'll need a bigger diary and more writing pens with all this info I'm writing down

[jellybean]

Apr 14, 2017 19:19:49 GMT jw said:

Iv also read on here the birds don't need any heating
but iv got my doubts on this one
As I live in Scotland our climate is not the best

I can vouch for that jw. I'd hate to be an outside budgie in Scotland ......brrrrr