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Post by Hezz on Jan 7, 2018 1:26:08 GMT
suesbird, we have native white tail rats around all the time, anyway, and the bandicoots, of course. As yet no birds are actually living in the aviary full time, so that is an unknown. There are still a couple of small spaces where the wire has buckled out between screws that I am afraid might just be big enough for a (very) small snake to get in. These have to be closed off first. Back to feeders, I started to think about ones made to be outside, as in wild bird feeders and found these ... do you think these would be suitable?? I have seen similar, but they have such dicky little pegs for perches, they would only be for very tiny birds, and Loki would probably chew them off! www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-x-Hanging-Wild-Bird-Seed-Feeder-Hanger-Perch-Squirrel-Peanut-Garden-Feeding/401455097545?epid=504734073&hash=item5d7896a6c9:g:3zQAAOSwT6pV3waT
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Post by steve05412 on Jan 7, 2018 14:45:59 GMT
Could you mount a branch for loki to sit on , maybe just a bit lower than the feeder?
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Post by Hezz on Jan 7, 2018 19:28:46 GMT
Could you mount a branch for loki to sit on , maybe just a bit lower than the feeder? I could do that, or even hoik up the feeder so that it sits around the right height for him, from an existing perch. That is definitely an idea. Thanks, Steve.
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Post by clt80 on Jan 8, 2018 17:52:44 GMT
Is there any more pics ? Esp. ones of Loki on ropes/plastic chains
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Post by Hezz on Jan 8, 2018 19:50:02 GMT
No, clt80. I put some perches and rope into the other side on the weekend, but I don't really want anyone out there unsupervised until I get it all properly set up - particularly the couple of spots where I feel something might be able to sneak in. Snakes are very good at flattening themselves and squeezing themselves through small spaces. Plus I do want to get decent feeders, especially for Loki, if he is out there during my working hours. He has a bad habit of tipping his pots out, and scooping through his feed for all the good bits. All the stuff he doesn't want, he flicks over the side. I have resorted to a deep, relatively narrow little flower-pot kind of thing.
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Post by clt80 on Jan 8, 2018 19:59:41 GMT
Snakes!!! Crikey, and here I was thinking I had it bad with them pesky slugs in summer *shudders*
Picking the good bits out of his bowl; a bit like me when I have jelly babies, I like to pick the red ones out and eat them first.
Looking forward to more pics when it's all safe and sound.
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Post by Hezz on Jan 8, 2018 20:14:51 GMT
Red lollies make you go faster. At least you eat the rest and don't just throw it on the floor. If it is on the bottom of the cage he will forage around, but on the livingroom floor, forget it.
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Post by Learner on Jan 9, 2018 1:52:24 GMT
Excuse the GREEN but having only just spotted and read this thread Hezz it is going to take me sometime to get back to my normal (non-jealous) colour!!
Boy that new set up is absolute lovely. The framework alone is a pipe-dream... No piles of saw-dust, no nasty nibbling and timber to replace and easier to keep fresh and clean. Oh.... Too late for me to add it to my Santa List for this year (and the next half-dozen too I bet - I've just not been that good).
Your "little" project is brilliant....
Feeders: I have 4 of these for inside use - I read that someone else (Steve?) uses them too. The 4 I have were supplied with a large indoor (on wheels) cage/aviary but I have found the same thing at a cheaper price than those previously posted in this thread.
Plastic seed hopper / troughs
Many more questions coming your way from me in a little while... Still sitting down getting my breath back.
Boy oh boy is that set-up the bees knees!!!
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Post by criswell on Jan 9, 2018 7:47:17 GMT
Wow, well done. It's amazing
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Post by Shirls on Jan 9, 2018 12:05:34 GMT
It really is amazing Hezz, can't wait for more updates.
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Post by Hezz on Jan 9, 2018 19:39:49 GMT
I might need a cattle prod for the finishing touches. OH is not the most motivated of people. Learner, I have these feeders for the budgies, in their large cage, and they work well for them. It's just that I need something with less ability to waste, less spillage, for the larger of the feathered friends. Thank you for all your kind comments. Learner, while the steel frame has lots of advantages, longevity being the major one, it has come with its own share of problems, fixing the mesh being just one of them.
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Post by skysmum on Jan 9, 2018 21:25:59 GMT
suesbird, we have native white tail rats around all the time, anyway, and the bandicoots, of course. As yet no birds are actually living in the aviary full time, so that is an unknown. There are still a couple of small spaces where the wire has buckled out between screws that I am afraid might just be big enough for a (very) small snake to get in. These have to be closed off first. Back to feeders, I started to think about ones made to be outside, as in wild bird feeders and found these ... do you think these would be suitable?? I have seen similar, but they have such dicky little pegs for perches, they would only be for very tiny birds, and Loki would probably chew them off! www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-x-Hanging-Wild-Bird-Seed-Feeder-Hanger-Perch-Squirrel-Peanut-Garden-Feeding/401455097545?epid=504734073&hash=item5d7896a6c9:g:3zQAAOSwT6pV3waT I did try something very similar Hezz, i thought the Meeps may use them in the aviary and possibly the buds but there were no takers. As you say the perching posts are too small and the hook bills have a job getting the seeds out as well.
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Post by Hezz on Jan 10, 2018 9:04:08 GMT
Ahhh. skysmum, thanks for that input. I hadn't really considered the beak difference, but can see now how the parrot bills may not work. I was just about to put in an order, too; in fact had meant to each day since the weekend but was waiting for a few more replies. Now I am very glad I did. Would you mind taking a closer look for me? They are slightly different - don't have those dicky little perching posts .... but is the feeding area the same as the ones you had?? I really wish they would make those others in a smaller size.
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Post by Learner on Jan 10, 2018 14:43:33 GMT
I might need a cattle prod for the finishing touches. OH is not the most motivated of people. Learner , I have these feeders for the budgies, in their large cage, and they work well for them. It's just that I need something with less ability to waste, less spillage, for the larger of the feathered friends. Thank you for all your kind comments. Learner , while the steel frame has lots of advantages, longevity being the major one, it has come with its own share of problems, fixing the mesh being just one of them. Motivation? I can sympathise with your husband - I lost mine a while ago ("motivation" not husband )..swamped by other things but gradually returning.
Feeders: Reducing waste and preventing scattered food can be a problem here. The only food I provide out in the flight is green / fresh food. Seed and millet spray is restricted to the inner-flight where it remains dry as well as easy to hoover-up any waste shucks. My lot often toddle around the inner flight floor which is at my waist height so easy to keep clean.
I think I would try rigging up some plastic trays under seed hoppers / dispensers so that anything scattered and spilt might have a second chance of being eaten (or reused) before it hits the floor. I am always cautious of attracting little things with 4 legs.
Maybe something like suspended plastic cat-litter trays just below the feeders might work? Or perhaps deep seed-trays? If you do not want to add weight to the roof/sides maybe a couple of raised platforms so seed/food containers can go on to them like dining mini-tables?
Wire-mesh fixing: Too late now to offer ideas - sorry. I do, however, recall about 50 years ago (Wow..THAT LONG!!! Just worked it out!!!) having a similar problem when my dad and I put in a new double aviary for my growing hobby of breeding foreign finches, cockatiels and a very few budgies. I had two flights and little money (my part-time job raised no more than £2:50 a week for 6 evenings work so it took some saving!). "We" built a concrete block skirting and added a wooden frame. The timber uprights were a little less than 6' apart and the mesh only 3' wide! The whole lot joined a newly bought double shed.
Attaching mesh to timber was easy of course... staples. But where the mesh edges overlapped without a timber frame I wove galvanised wire through the two over-lapping mesh edges.... same over the roof. The flights were 12'x12' divided down the middle into two flights.
Galvanised wire worked well for stitching the mesh together (and I guess would work for attaching edges to metal frame work). It was a slow process and I was very thorough in making sure there were absolutely no gaps. My Golden Breasted Waxbills were so tiny I was mindful not to leave even the tiniest of gaps anywhere for them to nip through.
Those were the days... the aviary lasted many years. I had left for college when my father announced that it would have to make room for a new garage, car-port and work-shop. I had left home by then and was living more than a hundred miles away so it made sense.
I remain unashamedly jealous of your new project!!
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Post by skysmum on Jan 10, 2018 16:27:43 GMT
Ahhh. skysmum, thanks for that input. I hadn't really considered the beak difference, but can see now how the parrot bills may not work. I was just about to put in an order, too; in fact had meant to each day since the weekend but was waiting for a few more replies. Now I am very glad I did. Would you mind taking a closer look for me? They are slightly different - don't have those dicky little perching posts .... but is the feeding area the same as the ones you had?? I really wish they would make those others in a smaller size. They are almost identical to the ones i tried Hezz, the other thing i found with them was that the Budgie seed would pour out each time they knocked or tried to land on or near them. The tiny less weighty finches would be fine and i thought the Meeps would really go for them but they had got used to the others which i had to leave in for the Buds. I really wish they would do a smaller size in the lantern feeders that i have too, i just half fill mine so that the seed doesn't have time to spoil.
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