hubbletea
Just Hatched
Joined: November 2017
Posts: 2
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Post by hubbletea on Nov 26, 2017 23:41:58 GMT -7
So I've always wanted to have a bird rescue and as I've seen african greys are the most common bird being rehomed ( for obvious reasons. ) so I've decided one day I will rescue birds ( and rabbits )! I live in a southern state ( alabama ) and where I live it only goes below freezing maybe once every other year. It isn't uncommon for it to go 100+ degrees F ( 38C ) in the summer.
my plan is to one day build a huge aviary and if it gets too cold I put some heating pads and lamps in there.
is this a good idea? just hypothetical.
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Post by Haz on Nov 27, 2017 16:36:33 GMT -7
I wouldn't like to think of an aviary that is only outside. One of our moderators, Adele, has an aviary but her birds are not always outside. Perhaps she could give you advice.
Here in Canada an outdoor aviary would result in bird-shaped popsicles.
Haz
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Post by Adele on Nov 27, 2017 20:20:10 GMT -7
You can do that, but I think it may be fraught with problems. Birds are very social, so if they see you as their flock, they're going to want to be near you as much as possible. Shunning them to outside may be harsh for them, especially if they are exclusively outside. Also, rescue birds often need a lot of attention, so putting them with other rescue birds in an aviary may end up very stressful for the birds.
As far as survival, they may survive the temperature, but there are a lot of things that could get them. Recently, someone on this forum had a rat attack their african grey while inside the house. Outside at night, a rat could certainly attack, as well as cats, raccoons, snakes, mosquitoes (with diseases), etc.
I use the outside aviary as a way for my birds to be entertained and get some exercise while I am working, or playing with my toddlers. Otherwise, the birds are in the house with me. Given that, the outside aviary has been fantastic and my birds love it. I built it over the ground (grass and dirt) so they get to dig in the ground, fly around, scavenge for food and get sunlight. It has done wonders for my female's declining health. Still, I am in Southern California and I worry about the temperature. They pant pretty quickly if it is above 90 deg and they shiver below 60 deg. I manage their body temps pretty closely and any signs of temperature stress, I bring them inside.
I've been eating lunch with them in the aviary as well. Manzi will sit on my knee and eat off my plate, while Maui will eat a pile of food I give her nearby. They are very happy.
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hubbletea
Just Hatched
Joined: November 2017
Posts: 2
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Post by hubbletea on Nov 28, 2017 15:33:51 GMT -7
Hmm. How about a barnish house ( for birds ) for when the weather gets bad or when predators may attack or when i am doing stuff with em ( in this fantasy thing it will be a rescue where people come up to volunteer to interact with them and clean their stuff. May or may not get paid :V
dont take this as selfishness or laziness. I just know if i follow through with this I will have hundreds of birds and there is no way I can keeo them all inside.
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Post by Adele on Nov 29, 2017 9:05:56 GMT -7
My neighbors told me about their setup at their old place, which had 1000+ birds in a barn like enclosure. They converted a huge barn to an aviary, with lots of separations for birds that didn't get a long. The birds could fly into the barn, but also had outdoor flights attached for when they wanted outside.
That might take care of the predator problem. Also, double layering the outdoor wire mesh, so raccoons cannot reach their hands through. You also might want to throw mosquito netting over the very outside layer.
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johnxxtico
Parrot Lovers
Joined: December 2017
Posts: 7
Pets: Tico (African Grey), Molly (small dog), Buster (orange cat)
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Post by johnxxtico on Jan 14, 2018 20:07:45 GMT -7
I have an 6'x3'x4' outdoor cage for my AG Tico made from dog-kennel parts ordered online. It consists of 8 panels 3'x4' strong framed mesh with one of them a door that swings open. They clamp together with the provided fittings. I've mounted it on a wood frame support which forms a wire-mesh base for the cage, and sits on 4 legs 2' high over low shrubbery in the garden of our SF Bay area home.
It works well for Tico, and probably 2 birds would be comfortable. The coated steel mesh is strong enough to support several tree-branch perches and food & water dishes along with a swing perch and toy-puzzles hanging from the top.
Don't know how feasible it would be to expand this cage to a larger size. This size cage is a long reach to the far corner from the door as it is.
I haven't had any problems with the various small predators (cats, rats, raccoons, hawks) of our neighborhood but don't keep Tico out over night. The squirrels sometimes get in and eat the food when she's out. Also small birds come in and out to use the water bowls.
One issue with keeping a parrot outside is exposure to mosquitoes carrying nasty bugs which can kill or disable your bird.
I don't put Tico outside unless it's 60deg or more. I make sure she is shaded and sheltered so she can be outside in hot weather or the rain.
Its nice to have the option of an outdoor cage when the weather is right, and Tico appreciates the extra treats she gets from her toy-puzzles in the cage.
John
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Post by Thomas on Jan 15, 2018 13:19:47 GMT -7
Have you seen this video?
Having a parrot rescue is not easy. I had as many as 8 Amazon parrots at a time, taken in when people couldn't care for them any longer. I definitely wouldn't house them outdoors, especially if the temperature was below 60 degrees and predators were a major concern where I lived. Do you have an avian vet that can help out when needed?
I have an outdoor cage for my grey to stay in when we are working outside in the spring and summer, she likes to be close to us and yell at us while we work.
Thomas
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