Built an Avery in my garden, but they won't stay in the box!

[colleyboy]

Hi,

I am brand new here.  I built an outdoor budgie aviary and have 8 lovely budgies in there .

I have had them around 6 weeks and they have settled in well.  Wish I had realised the deep cleaning every few days that is needed, but is worth it.

In my budgie aviary I have built a box inside with 2 entry/exit holes in.  I have a separate heating unit which heats the box and keeps it at around 15-20c.

In the UK the weather is dropping and last night dropped to 6c.  The budgies looked a little cold and a few of them huddled together in the fur triangle I have in the top of the aviary but it will not keep them warm enough in the winter .

The big box for them to stay in at night, they just do not go in... unless I open the box and they fly straight in but do not stay there when I shut the door.  The second I shut the box, they file out 1 by 1 straight away.  

Problem is, with the box door open they stay in, but temp drops very quickly until eventually matching outside temp.  The idea of the box is supposed to be for them to be in at night and fly in naturally to escape the cold.

I am afraid my budgies might die as the temp drops more.  Can anyone help with suggestions please.  Pictures attached.

[Hezz]

If by fur triangle, you mean a snuggle hut, please remove this. The birds will chew on it and the fibres can cause crop compaction if swallowed.

I can't help with your cold issue, as I live in tropical Australia, but someone with an aviary in the UK should be able to help.

[colleyboy]

Hi Hezz,

Thanks for the feedback. Yes it is a snuggle hut. Didn't know that about them, but makes sense.

[helenmat]

In my limited experience I would say that the small box is a little too small and the budgies probably don't like going in it. What size is the space for 8 budgies? Most avairies in the uk would have an insulated indoor area and an outside area. Budgies can cope with some cold but they do not like draughts. How long have your budgies been in there, have they acclimatised to the weather over time? Like I say I do not have a lot of experience but hopefully someone will come along who has an avery in the UK. It would help to put your location in the your profile, members are from all over the world.

[Marianne Marlow]

clt80, you have an outside aviary, what do you do for heat when it gets cold?

[colleyboy]

Hi thanks for the reply.

The budgie box itself is not small - it is actually quite big. But when the door is shut it is obviously dark. The heating unit (as per the pic) is in separate part of the box and transfers the heat in to the main box.

The actual aviary itself is not heated, since it is mesh outside etc, that is why I built the box part for them to escape draughts etc. But they just do not go in it, unless I open the front of the box, but if I do that then all the heat from the box would escape.

[OP]

The only way I can see is cover the holes with mess. You will still get light in the box when it is light outside. Plus it will give you ventilation in the box. Budgies are smart but not smart enough to now they are getting cold I know your reasoning for having the holes was to give them a way in and out of the box. They certainly know the way out, but not the way back in.

[clt80]

Lovely aviary you have; I’m with you on the amount of cleaning they take!!!!!

I’m thinking the same as others : too dark and too small. They will always want to be outside in a larger space with moonlight which is why they dart back outside. Is there water in there for them at night? Maybe just a minor adjustment to the size to make it bigger and with some sort of dim light for them. Can you portion part of your aviary off to make an inside bit for them?

What are your plans for winter with your aviary?

Sometimes even paired up budgies just want their own space at night. If they don’t get it tensions arises and then you have a fight. Is there anyway to make the box bigger or portion off part of the outside aviary to make it insulated for nighttime?

I know some people like to put sheets or blankets over cages when their birds sleep but with mine I have found they prefer a dim light. I have a window in the inside part of the aviary and they can see the outside house light on and also I plug in a dim nightlight for them.

I have a flap going outside which I close when they come in at night so they are locked in. They get let out early each morning.

I haven’t got my glasses on and on my mobile phone so my eyes were blurring but do you have heating for them at night?

[clt80]

Just tried looking at the pics again - my eyes are not what they were!!! But - - thought occurred - they may start using the box as a nest box due to its size....

[colleyboy]

Hi Guys and Girls,

Thanks for your lovely replies. I have been out and took a few more pictures. I like the idea of mesh over the holes, because when I open the box they love to fly straight in and I have no problem shutting the box on them - the issue is they all come flying out of the holes like the dambusters...

My worry is that if I put mesh over the holes and trapped 8 budgies in the box, could I have a problem they get stressed for being trapped in the box and kill each other or even have heart attack?

[clt80]

Goodness what cute budgies!

The box looks bigger now I can see your birds in there (and I also have my glasses on now).

Maybe some newspaper on the bottom of the box to collect droppings would help you keep it clean, you can just change it daily.

Could they have water in there? I know mine drink at night; when they don’t have water they fly out in the morning and all dive into the water bowl like they are thirsty.

I had a little tube radiator which wasn’t sufficient to keep mine warm in winter so I got a portable radiator. But for your box it could do the job and you could attach it somewhere out the way at the back and have a thermostat so you could regulate the temperature. I always found winter a bit tough with an aviary; Some days when it was really cold I’d have to keep them in so they can keep warm with the radiator on. I’m hoping for a mild winter.

[Hezz]

I agree, now we have better pics - too small, too dark, too confined; I would fear that they would fight, plus as clt80 has indicated, they do need food and water in even at night. For that number of birds, I'd be looking at doubling your space, making half a meshed in outside area and the area you have now closed in and able to be heated.

[skinfx]

i have kept budgies outside for quite a few years,my flight is part indoor(in my garage) a hole cut through the wall for them to come in and out and an outside meshed area with a roof  ,at night all mine make their way into the indoor area,i have never had any form of heating , and my birds have been through some harsh winters with no problems , i know some will say they need heating but my birds have been through winters no problems ..

[sherry]

HELLO colleyboy, I was thinking what if you made the door to the their box out of a plexiglass with a slight tint to it. That way they won't fill trapped in but it will still keep the heat in. Just a thought☺ Hope all works out for you. They are beautiful budgies and you have made them a lovely home, lucky little guys.

[colleyboy]

Hi thanks for the comments

I was thinking I might be worrying a bit much about the winters. At the end of the day the box is heated and if it does get just too cold for them they should naturally seek the heat I think? Surely wouldn't just let themselves freeze to death.

Was thinking about that Sherry, however plexiglass they might just fly in to, as birds and glass are not exactly well suited . Thanks for the idea though