Help with an indoor aviary!

[Grey_Moon]

Hi guys,

So yours truly is *really* excited about this idea. I found a wholesale supplier of stainless steel wire mesh and so I can maybe finally put this idea into practice because I *really* don't want to pay about $1200 for the 33x23x48 kings aluminium cage that is barely big enough.
A 48 inch wide and 100 foot long roll of the stainless steel mesh only costs me about $800 in comparison, I'm assuming I don't need nearly that much.

So the plan is to build her almost (for lack of a better word) a box without bottom (I'll set it on a plastic mat with newspaper on top) made out of this stainless steel mesh, with the appropriate bird-safe clips/snaps/attachments connecting the roof panel, and the four side panels.
I'd also ideally like the front panel to latch and swing open in entirety.

I'm not entirely sure what dimensions I want, but probably in the neighbourhood of 4 feet by 3-4 feet and 7 feet tall (measured from floor to roof).

Any building plans or tips or whatnot?
I'm good at finding things and dreaming---but my blueprint skills and carpentry skills are lacking

[Michael]

If the difference in price is only between 1200 and 800 (with the former including all hardware, doors, labor, and finishing), then what's the point of doing this?

[terri]

Michael Ive read your posts .You seemed happier in 2010

[Grey_Moon]

The $800 is for 100 feet of wire---I'm going to safely say I won't need that much.
So it becomes cost effective---especially when you consider that the $1200 isn't even close to the dimensions that I want (and IMO is a small cage for a timneh).

I don't mind the labour or the extra hardware I'll need.

[Eurycerus]

I'm with Grey Moon. I have monetary limits and I would much prefer to make up any cost differences with my labor. I'm excited to see what happens Grey Moon!

Michael I think you are more financially secure than me and it looks like many others on this site and honestly have no right to make seemingly judgmental comments regarding someone's wish to cut costs but do right by their parrot.

[Grey_Moon]

Michael---$400 is a huge sum of money, especially when you consider its not really dimensions I'd be happy with. I'd rather put it in the time, work and planning (especially when it can't be rocket-science) and get exactly what I want with a quality I'm happy with than pay more for something I don't really want just to be lazy and get it pre-assembled.

[Michael]

Ok, well first of all, you made it sound like you gotta buy this in rolls of 100feet or that the discounted price applies to that amount so I assumed you gotta spend $800. Second of all, if someone is talking doing stainless steel for their bird, they either got the money to blow or they have a majorly sick bird that can be housed in nothing else (I've only heard of one bird in this condition down at the Oasis). If saving money is priority number one, then forget stainless steel.

If you go with powder coat instead, you can have a complete cage that is the size of your aviary idea for about the same cost. Here's an example (by no means a specific suggestion).

I totally agree with DIY parrot stuff when practical. Sometimes it's cheaper. Sometimes it's even better. But sometimes it's just not worth getting into. You really can't come close when it comes to quality, durability, and aesthetics when it comes to a self built cage. Welding stainless steel is insane so you'd be left with screwing/bolting things together. Assuming you want to maintain the same standard of using stainless steel on hardware as you would on mesh, you're really in for a surprise and can easily be adding $300-$800 more for hardware. Then you have the issue of a door, I can't even begin to imagine a completely safe/reliable way of approaching that. It's not that I don't think DIY is good, it's just that I think making a good cage is too hard and too costly to even be worthwhile.

BTW there is an insanely CHEAP yet extremely labor intensive alternative... YOU! You can keep the bird in a travel cage for all its worth if you're willing to let it out and supervise for many hours of the day.

[Polarn]

I kind of agree with michael here, still I'm a big fan of building stuffs and yes I do have a few designs for cages I want to build laying around, however I've calculated the costs on welded cages with 5mm bars, and then powdercoating. even if welding stainless steel isnt really a problem the stainless steel itself is so expensive it hurts. The main reason I am considering building my own cages is that I cant really find any cages the dimensions I want, or the practicality.

It kind of works for me not using cages but at the same time I would like to have one, but it has to be big enough for me to be happy with it, I currently have a few cages stored away in the walkin closet (that really is just a storage room right now)... and the sizes of these cages is something most people would be happy with, but i think personally that they lack a little in depth.
cage 1:
http://www.itsapetsworld.co.uk/medium-b ... rc-nova-2/
cage 2: (but with budgiesized bars)
http://www.itsapetsworld.co.uk/medium-b ... rc-nova-1/

the second cage I find somewhat okay for the budgie even if the diemsions are a bit weird since their not helicopters...

I recently sold a cornercage I had that Polarn loved to play around in but the problem is, I have no corners with high roofheight so it had to be placed mid wall and got extremely unpractical:
http://www.itsapetsworld.co.uk/medium-b ... age-large/

Now another major reason the plans keeps spinning to build my own cage is to be able to make it into a furniture with storage underneith to be able to remove the cabinets i use to store toys, newspaper etc, however I would never make up for the flightspace in this particular room bu being able todo so. So im torned weather to get a cage or not, but I most likely wont buy a readymade cage if I decide that a cage is the way to go, major reason i miss the cage is with the ease of hanging toys utilizing different perches etc, still doable without but requires more work.

What you could do if your looking for something big floor to roof type is look for aviary sections, I know they sell alot over here atleast, their usually about 3-4feet wide and 7-8 feet high. and is usually quite easily assembled to create a U-shape to put up against a wall somewhere, or a square if thats prefered.
something like these: http://flexipet.se/images/stories/DSC_0573.jpg (swedish company and no english translation of their website so only the images are useful really...
but together it may look something like this: http://flexipet.se/images/stories/images/DSC_0306-1.jpg (except this one is devided into several smaller)

I've found sections like these second hand when browsing adds for about 20USD each, witch would build you a 8'x8' cage with 4 sides and a roof for about 200dollars if you can find someone selling them for that prize over in the states, (although most going for that price needs a new powdercoat over here, but powdercoating is failry cheap).

Anyways if you have the capability to realize your visions then I'd say go for it! if your gonna end up spending the money only to realize youve miscalculated additional stuffs needed etc to the point where youre not getting what you want for more than you wanted, make sure to research your options

[marie83]

Seems to be alot of negative aspects to this project from what everyone else is saying. If you can afford to waste the money if it doesn't work out like you had hoped then surely it is worth a go?

I'm not in anyway handy so its not something I would probably attempt for myself but if you are still going to go for it then I want to wish you good luck and please keep us updated, regardless of if things go to plan or not.

[Grey_Moon]

Geez guys didn't want to start everyone bickering

Michael I'm looking at either the aluminium or the DIY stainless simply because Jacko needs frequent misting and that sort of moisture beats the living daylight out of anything that can rust.
She could live in something else, just preferably I don't want to spend the $800 and then have to replace it in two years.

I honestly don't have a lot of money to blow. Heck, I'm in an income bracket that for most people if they wanted a parrot I'd smack them, but I refuse to rehome her just because right now I'm a disabled student trying to get a better education to get a job where I can take good care of myself n her. But I'm going to be having to be away many more hours for work and my tech program so even if she spends about 6+ hours out of the cage over the course of the day she's still going to be looking at a fair bit of time on her own.

And her current accomodations are NOT going to cut it with that in mind. I also want to build something big n aviary style because I want to encourage her to move. She's getting older now and with her heart I want to keep her in shape.

I honestly do not care what the cage looks like so long as its safe and gives her the room.