You are my hero!!! You are doing it the right and ethical way. It breaks my heart to see breeders who stack their bird in tiny cages and the birds are living essentially in prisons. Do they live? Yes. Do they breed? yes. But Birds were given wings for reason, so they can get around their habitat. They must be miserable in those tiny cages. What you have done is made a place that is natural, safe and comfortable. You truly care for your feathered friends. Bravo!
Hi Darren I used plastic corrugated roofing sheets for the roof, B&Q sells it in 6ft and 8ft lengths. The hole was cut with a hole saw attached to my hand drill then i just knocked a plastic pipe into it. Then I used a plastic guttering junction and cut an out side ring out of it ,it just looks better and easier to clean. Simple DIY really .lol cheers mark
An what a beautiful aviary you have. If i can make mine look half as good as yours im happy. One of the very better ones i have come across on youtube. Well done mate
I'VE used a few tonne of gravel so it's about 8" deep under the gravel is a weed supresser material. I just wash down the soiled plants and gravel with a garden hose every day, but that's just me.lol Cement floors are good for Hook bills but finches do spend alot of time on the floor looking for insects .And cement floors just don't look natural and clinical for my liking. I'm called Mr clean by my bird keeping friends,but I've seen some bird room and aviarys that would make you cry ,with the dirt and non existent housekeeping that some keepers keep their birds in. For mice prevention, Be proactive ie traps and poison around your fight and under your bird room. Food ie Seed millet should never be fed outside in a flight,that's just asking for mice to come it. I made that mistake once..lol I only feed fruit and green outside with Live mealworms. only ever feed Live mealworms ,my birds get them 5 days a week.in spring and summer during breeding everyday.
Hi I've a oil filled heater on a plug in thermostat in the sheds ( bird rooms ) during the winter, it comes on and off during the day and night and is kept around the 257 mark. I keep Gouldian finches in both aviarys all year round and they don't like the cold ,so be careful what birds you keep outside. But as long as your bird room is free of damp and drafts you won't get many problems . But i live in the mild SW England and we didn't get any ice last winter.
Canarys are somewhat troublesome ,they will sit a pick off every leaf of a bush,Also spice birds will chew leaves as they build a nest with almost 90% of dry leaves. But with most African/ Australian grassfinches you will never get a problem.
Yep they are all real plants apart from the plastic ivy covering the nest boxes.All are planted straight into the soil under the gravel,but I would plant bamboo into a container as mine has spread all over the flight. lol But I just pull it up if it shoots in the wrong spot.
Ruby ,I've a bit of an ocd problem which helps with the cleaning side with things..lol I just spend 2 hours aday cleaning and about 8 hours at the weekend .Ive seen some birdroom and flights over the years that just makes my heart sink. If you can't care for them in the correct manner then you shouldnt keep them like with any animal you must love your hobby or its not gonna work..But the nest boxes are cleaned before ,during & after the breeding season ie October in the UK.Then I put them back up for roosting over the winter then remove again end of February . Star,Gouldian finches like to perch roost where as Bichenoes zebra, Strawberry and Waxbills like to nest roost.So some roost inside but some chose to roost outside in -5 stromal conditions..lol
Most plants are fine in an aviary. Try to stay away from lily's and tuba / buld plants,ie Daffodil and bluebells. most finches won't eat ivy or ferns ,so you won't get any problems.Larger mannikins ie Java Sparrows and Magpie mannikins might eat a few leaves, but in nearly 35 years of breeding birds I've never had a problem.
This is a stunning set - up. My kind of aviary . How do you deal with cats ?. In process of building another aviary .But I am surrounded by neighbours cats, one of the reason 's , I have put off building again. Had many aviaries in my 59 years, all self built [early ones ,my brilliant father did most of the building lol]. Had a lovely pair of Magpie Mannikins 40 year ago. But never seen them since. Was living in Belfast N.Ireland at the time. now in Auckland , New Zealand. Most likely going for Plum head, Cordon Bleu ,Zebras , Diamond doves and cp quail .
Most of the plants are Bamboo,Dwarf conifers,English Ivy,Red Robin, Bay leaf bush and Russian vine. The floor covering plant is called Yellow Rattle but apart from those i have very little knowledge.
Also guys . I can't over epthisise the use of feeding live mini mealworms during the breeding season.You will see a massive increase in waxbill chick numbers if feed everyday.
Do you have much trouble cleaning the aviary out with the gravel being directly over the soil? How often do you replace all of the gravel? I have been reading alot online and its recommended to have a concrete floor with a few holes to where to plant flowers if you want a planted aviary as they say a natural floor wont be very hygienic an also rodents may be able to burrow in. Please let me know how you have set yours up, i will be watching your videos properly later to get some ideas. Thanks
Hey mark I am from New York City, it’s pretty cold in winter and since you live in UK it’s always cold out there, so what do you do in winter time can you make the video showing your winter room and summer out door ivary plz ??
What type of plants work in your Aviary that are not poisonous to the birds? I asked this because I'm thinking of adding this (Aviary) to my husbands (honey-do) List. Lol! Thanks for posting this. What are the of birds that are easy to Breed? Someone told me to begin with Zebra Finches. I love the Lady Gouldian (normal) green backed ones. I had a pair 30+ yrs. Ago. They died 3 wks. Later. The man at the Pet Store where I got them wasn't that helpful. I think they died from mite infestation. Back then there were no Avian Veterinarians. I wanted to get a pair on those but I have heard they sometimes throw the eggs & babies out of the nestbox. Love your Avairy!
I love Owl Finches! One of my favorit finches. Im building my indoor planted aviary and Im looking for info on how to do it. But I also would like to know more about breeding Owl Finches and it seems like you have a lot of experience working with them so Ill appreciate if you can give me any advise on this birds and aviary. Thanks!
Mark your aviary is wonderful, that is my dream come true . Do you remove all your nesting boxes when its time to let the birds rest? What type of water system do you have set up, and since you are called Mr. Clean how do you keep everything looking so good as us bird lovers know . There is always a lot of seeds and poo. Thank you for sharing
l love your aviary. The way the nest are hanging all over the place and all the beautiful plants. Your birds look very happy. How long did it take you to built?
ana4rodrigo Thankyou for your kind comments :-) They bird room and the attached flight took myself and a friend about 4 weekends to build. The bird room took a couple more weekends after to paint and wire the heater and lights in.The plants generally take about 3 years until they start growing properly and get to a nice size after planting.
Hi Mark, I love your aviary! I'm in the planning process of my aviary albeit not long started. Could you explain in as much detail possible your ground. The location where I plan on building my aviary is basically clay ground and I'm just wondering what I should do. Thanks
Hi Brad. My base of my flights are normal garden soil, which I planted with a few shrubs from the garden centre.Just make sure none of the shrubs produce berry's. Finches won't eat the leaves because they are thick waxy evergreens. So first I laid a weed supresser fabric on the soil .I cut holes in the fabric then planted my selected shrubs. Then I used about 3 tonne of builders pea gravel for the base . Pea gravel is what builders use to lay pipes onto.Its very low cost to buy and is simply racked then washed down with the garden hose pipe.
Hi Brad. My base of my flights are normal garden soil, which I planted with a few shrubs from the garden centre.Just make sure none of the shrubs produce berry's. Finches won't eat the leaves because they are thick waxy evergreens. So first I laid a weed supresser fabric on the soil .I cut holes in the fabric then planted my selected shrubs. Then I used about 3 tonne of builders pea gravel for the base . Pea gravel is what builders use to lay pipes onto.Its very low cost to buy and is simply racked then washed down with the garden hose pipe.
I think i will lay concrete down first with holes in various places for the plants, mainly towards the centre of the flight an then i will cover it all with gravel as yours looks amazing. I have watched most of your videos, i see that you have a mixed colony of finches and you have various nest boxes placed around your aviary. This may sound like a stupid question but dont you get a problem with different species of finches bonding and trying to cross breed? or will the zebras only bond with zebras and the gouldians with gouldians, always wondered about this. Thank You for your replies you have been very helpful.
Hamaad Raja Where will all the poo/muck go if it's a solid base with gravel on top ? ensure you don't get a slurry under your gravel when you wash your flight down. just a thought..lol Inbreeding is a real problem in a flight with a mixed collection,and they will inbreed. This year alone I've had Timor Zebra / Benchenoes & Star / cheery finch hybreds. But all sold at the stafford bird sale .
Ohh lol so it is possible for them to inbreed. I will setup some breeding cages insdie my home in a spare room for the selected pairs i want to hand pick and breed but in the flight i was planning to hang some up anyway for the rest of the birds. An regarding the solid base i wil have a few gaps in the concrete for the plants which will also act as a soak away. Thanks mate
Your aviary is beautiful I'm looking around for ideas I'm also in the uk and we will be building a planted aviary when we move into our new house. Do you have a rough idea on what plants you have inside? I saw your comment on your gravel flooring and will be stealing this idea for mine! I was going to have grass between my plants then I decided that would be a pain to keep short! I will have finches, canaries, diamond doves and cockatiels in mine so I need to find a hardy shrub or two for mine lol but mine will have loads of grasses and bamboos. Do you find you have to rinse off the plants leaves too?!
bubbler891Thanks for your kind comments on my video. :-) Canaries and especially Cockatiels will remove every leaf off your plants you place in your flights. Also most weavers and larger mannikins will do the same sorry to be the bringer of bed news.
bubbler891 I do wash my flights and plants down with the garden hose everyday, it's just me I'm a bit of a clean freak. but it only takes 10 mins a day.
Hi Jordan, Yes in September we get a massive amount of orb web spiders / garden spiders in England and my finches eat the lot.If it moves its eaten. The only thing they leave are slugs and snails. But I have seen them eating an old snail shell and even a very large garden worm.
Hello mate, i will be having an aviary made soon for a mixed colony of finches and i had a few questions if you dont mind. What sort of flooring do you use? Do you use real plants? if so are they planted into the ground or are they in pots? An i know your indoor section of the aviary is heated, what sort of heater do you use? an do you use night lights in both the indoor section and the flight? Thanks
Hamaad Raja I also use night RED lights and also a radio which is on classic fm and on quite loud, this gets the birds roosting inside, use to loud noises like fireworks. A radio is very very important and mine are kept on 24/7.
All aviary roofs should be covered in my own thinking , Wild birds may carry all sorts of diseases and pests in their droppings which our birds have little or no protection from.
You are my hero!!! You are doing it the right and ethical way. It breaks my heart to see breeders who stack their bird in tiny cages and the birds are living essentially in prisons. Do they live? Yes. Do they breed? yes. But Birds were given wings for reason, so they can get around their habitat. They must be miserable in those tiny cages.
What you have done is made a place that is natural, safe and comfortable. You truly care for your feathered friends. Bravo!
Hi Darren
I used plastic corrugated roofing sheets for the roof, B&Q sells it in 6ft and 8ft lengths.
The hole was cut with a hole saw attached to my hand drill then i just knocked a plastic pipe into it.
Then I used a plastic guttering junction and cut an out side ring out of it ,it just looks better and easier to clean.
Simple DIY really .lol
cheers mark
a little piece of heaven you have there, nicely done. thanks
Lovely aviary!! 👏
An what a beautiful aviary you have. If i can make mine look half as good as yours im happy. One of the very better ones i have come across on youtube. Well done mate
Hamaad Raja I agree, best one I've ever seen, wish my aviary could be like this but with lovebirds they would destroy all the plants
Hi Darren, The hole is left open all,year round, I just use a sponge to block it up if I want to catch a bird.
I'VE used a few tonne of gravel so it's about 8" deep under the gravel is a weed supresser material.
I just wash down the soiled plants and gravel with a garden hose every day, but that's just me.lol
Cement floors are good for Hook bills but finches do spend alot of time on the floor looking for insects .And cement floors just don't look natural and clinical for my liking.
I'm called Mr clean by my bird keeping friends,but I've seen some bird room and aviarys that would make you cry ,with the dirt and non existent housekeeping that some keepers keep their birds in.
For mice prevention, Be proactive ie traps and poison around your fight and under your bird room.
Food ie Seed millet should never be fed outside in a flight,that's just asking for mice to come it. I made that mistake once..lol
I only feed fruit and green outside with Live mealworms.
only ever feed Live mealworms ,my birds get them 5 days a week.in spring and summer during breeding everyday.
Hi
I've a oil filled heater on a plug in thermostat in the sheds ( bird rooms ) during the winter, it comes on and off during the day and night and is kept around the 257 mark. I keep Gouldian finches in both aviarys all year round and they don't like the cold ,so be careful what birds you keep outside.
But as long as your bird room is free of damp and drafts you won't get many problems .
But i live in the mild SW England and we didn't get any ice last winter.
Canarys are somewhat troublesome ,they will sit a pick off every leaf of a bush,Also spice birds will chew leaves as they build a nest with almost 90% of dry leaves. But with most African/ Australian grassfinches you will never get a problem.
Great video Mark lovely Aviary aswell
Yep they are all real plants apart from the plastic ivy covering the nest boxes.All are planted straight into the soil under the gravel,but I would plant bamboo into a container as mine has spread all over the flight. lol But I just pull it up if it shoots in the wrong spot.
Ruby ,I've a bit of an ocd problem which helps with the cleaning side with things..lol I just spend 2 hours aday cleaning and about 8 hours at the weekend .Ive seen some birdroom and flights over the years that just makes my heart sink. If you can't care for them in the correct manner then you shouldnt keep them like with any animal you must love your hobby or its not gonna work..But the nest boxes are cleaned before ,during & after the breeding season ie October in the UK.Then I put them back up for roosting over the winter then remove again end of February . Star,Gouldian finches like to perch roost where as Bichenoes zebra, Strawberry and Waxbills like to nest roost.So some roost inside but some chose to roost outside in -5 stromal conditions..lol
Mark Connell should you make up the nest when you put them back or would the finches make them up in October
Anthony Cruise I remake the nest to about 75% complete then let them finish it off themselves.
beautifull, birds will love it. Thanks for the video
Most plants are fine in an aviary. Try to stay away from lily's and tuba / buld plants,ie Daffodil and bluebells.
most finches won't eat ivy or ferns ,so you won't get any problems.Larger mannikins ie Java Sparrows and Magpie mannikins might eat a few leaves, but in nearly 35 years of breeding birds I've never had a problem.
This is a stunning set - up. My kind of aviary .
How do you deal with cats ?. In process of building another aviary .But I am surrounded by neighbours cats, one of the reason 's , I have put off building again. Had many aviaries in my 59 years, all self built [early ones ,my brilliant father did most of the building lol]. Had a lovely pair of Magpie Mannikins 40 year ago. But never seen them since. Was living in Belfast N.Ireland at the time. now in Auckland , New Zealand. Most likely going for Plum head, Cordon Bleu ,Zebras , Diamond doves and cp quail .
Thanks Guys for your kind comments.
Most of the plants are Bamboo,Dwarf conifers,English Ivy,Red Robin, Bay leaf bush and Russian vine.
The floor covering plant is called Yellow Rattle but apart from those i have very little knowledge.
Thank you very much
Hi there, great set-up. May I ask what kind of plants are in there? Cheers
Also guys . I can't over epthisise the use of feeding live mini mealworms during the breeding season.You will see a massive increase in waxbill chick numbers if feed everyday.
Hello,
congratulations for the beautiful aviary .
you tell me all the plants in it ?
What all plants we can keep in the aviary? Many plants are toxic. It seems you have kept bamboo.
What type of plans do you have planted in their because my finches are eaten everything thank you by the way it's gorgeous.
Do you have much trouble cleaning the aviary out with the gravel being directly over the soil? How often do you replace all of the gravel? I have been reading alot online and its recommended to have a concrete floor with a few holes to where to plant flowers if you want a planted aviary as they say a natural floor wont be very hygienic an also rodents may be able to burrow in. Please let me know how you have set yours up, i will be watching your videos properly later to get some ideas. Thanks
An also do you just have one opening for the birds from the indoor section to the flight? How large is this hole? Thanks
Hey mark I am from New York City, it’s pretty cold in winter and since you live in UK it’s always cold out there, so what do you do in winter time can you make the video showing your winter room and summer out door ivary plz ??
Is it possible to have gouldians and zebras together? Will they cross-breed?
What type of plants work in your Aviary that are not poisonous to the birds? I asked this because I'm thinking of adding this (Aviary) to my husbands (honey-do) List. Lol! Thanks for posting this. What are the of birds that are easy to Breed? Someone told me to begin with Zebra Finches. I love the Lady Gouldian (normal) green backed ones. I had a pair 30+ yrs. Ago. They died 3 wks. Later. The man at the Pet Store where I got them wasn't that helpful. I think they died from mite infestation. Back then there were no Avian Veterinarians. I wanted to get a pair on those but I have heard they sometimes throw the eggs & babies out of the nestbox. Love your Avairy!
You could always have cross breeding with finches if their housed together.Just make sure you have enough full pairs and remove any extra birds.
I love Owl Finches! One of my favorit finches. Im building my indoor planted aviary and Im looking for info on how to do it. But I also would like to know more about breeding Owl Finches and it seems like you have a lot of experience working with them so Ill appreciate if you can give me any advise on this birds and aviary. Thanks!
hi great aviary love watching your videos. I'm thinking of building one.
in winter do you put a heater in there for them or are they ok with out?
Mark your aviary is wonderful, that is my dream come true . Do you remove all your nesting boxes when its time to let the birds rest? What type of water system do you have set up, and since you are called Mr. Clean how do you keep everything looking so good as us bird lovers know . There is always a lot of seeds and poo. Thank you for sharing
Bird shed
l love your aviary. The way the nest are hanging all over the place and all the beautiful plants. Your birds look very happy. How long did it take you to built?
ana4rodrigo Thankyou for your kind comments :-) They bird room and the attached flight took myself and a friend about 4 weekends to build. The bird room took a couple more weekends after to paint and wire the heater and lights in.The plants generally take about 3 years until they start growing properly and get to a nice size after planting.
Beautiful what type of plants do u have
Mary Ann
Yeah I've only one pop hole for the birds it's about 6".
Hi Mark, I love your aviary! I'm in the planning process of my aviary albeit not long started. Could you explain in as much detail possible your ground.
The location where I plan on building my aviary is basically clay ground and I'm just wondering what I should do.
Thanks
Hi Brad.
My base of my flights are normal garden soil, which I planted with a few shrubs from the garden centre.Just make sure none of the shrubs produce berry's. Finches won't eat the leaves because they are thick waxy evergreens.
So first I laid a weed supresser fabric on the soil .I cut holes in the fabric then planted my selected shrubs.
Then I used about 3 tonne of builders pea gravel for the base .
Pea gravel is what builders use to lay pipes onto.Its very low cost to buy and is simply racked then washed down with the garden hose pipe.
Hi Brad.
My base of my flights are normal garden soil, which I planted with a few shrubs from the garden centre.Just make sure none of the shrubs produce berry's. Finches won't eat the leaves because they are thick waxy evergreens.
So first I laid a weed supresser fabric on the soil .I cut holes in the fabric then planted my selected shrubs.
Then I used about 3 tonne of builders pea gravel for the base .
Pea gravel is what builders use to lay pipes onto.Its very low cost to buy and is simply racked then washed down with the garden hose pipe.
I think i will lay concrete down first with holes in various places for the plants, mainly towards the centre of the flight an then i will cover it all with gravel as yours looks amazing. I have watched most of your videos, i see that you have a mixed colony of finches and you have various nest boxes placed around your aviary. This may sound like a stupid question but dont you get a problem with different species of finches bonding and trying to cross breed? or will the zebras only bond with zebras and the gouldians with gouldians, always wondered about this. Thank You for your replies you have been very helpful.
Hamaad Raja
Where will all the poo/muck go if it's a solid base with gravel on top ? ensure you don't get a slurry under your gravel when you wash your flight down. just a thought..lol
Inbreeding is a real problem in a flight with a mixed collection,and they will inbreed. This year alone I've had Timor Zebra / Benchenoes & Star / cheery finch hybreds. But all sold at the stafford bird sale .
Ohh lol so it is possible for them to inbreed. I will setup some breeding cages insdie my home in a spare room for the selected pairs i want to hand pick and breed but in the flight i was planning to hang some up anyway for the rest of the birds. An regarding the solid base i wil have a few gaps in the concrete for the plants which will also act as a soak away. Thanks mate
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
You could convert it into a breeding room?
hi nice aviary how did you attach your nest boxes to the wire
Hi. Can I ask if your finches have an indoor area for the winter, or are they all hardy?
Your aviary is beautiful I'm looking around for ideas I'm also in the uk and we will be building a planted aviary when we move into our new house. Do you have a rough idea on what plants you have inside? I saw your comment on your gravel flooring and will be stealing this idea for mine! I was going to have grass between my plants then I decided that would be a pain to keep short! I will have finches, canaries, diamond doves and cockatiels in mine so I need to find a hardy shrub or two for mine lol but mine will have loads of grasses and bamboos. Do you find you have to rinse off the plants leaves too?!
bubbler891Thanks for your kind comments on my video. :-) Canaries and especially Cockatiels will remove every leaf off your plants you place in your flights. Also most weavers and larger mannikins will do the same sorry to be the bringer of bed news.
bubbler891 I do wash my flights and plants down with the garden hose everyday, it's just me I'm a bit of a clean freak. but it only takes 10 mins a day.
do you get a lot of spiders in there?
Hi Jordan, Yes in September we get a massive amount of orb web spiders / garden spiders in England and my finches eat the lot.If it moves its eaten. The only thing they leave are slugs and snails. But I have seen them eating an old snail shell and even a very large garden worm.
What plants did you use that the quails won’t eat?
This is fucking beautiful. I wanna copy this. Great job u did man. I'm loving it. Do u have any covering on the top or u just left it open?
RapperHolik Hi bro, yes it's covered with plastic corigated sheeting. Stops the seagulls and pigeons passing their diseases to my birds.
Hello mate, i will be having an aviary made soon for a mixed colony of finches and i had a few questions if you dont mind. What sort of flooring do you use? Do you use real plants? if so are they planted into the ground or are they in pots? An i know your indoor section of the aviary is heated, what sort of heater do you use? an do you use night lights in both the indoor section and the flight? Thanks
Hamaad Raja
I also use night RED lights and also a radio which is on classic fm and on quite loud, this gets the birds roosting inside, use to loud noises like fireworks. A radio is very very important and mine are kept on 24/7.
Very nice g
very nice
finch, malesianjaw ,eating tree leaves .
How making this type birds nest.
All aviary roofs should be covered in my own thinking , Wild birds may carry all sorts of diseases and pests in their droppings which our birds have little or no protection from.
Lindo demais👏👏👏👏ai é melhorque estar na natureza tem agua comida espaço de sobra e nenhum risco de predadores
😍😍😍😍
what about winter time?
My bird rooms are heated.
Masha allah🕋💖
Wow java sparrow in java Said Gelatik belong...there are a lot off Java Sparrow in my Village
جميل جدا اللهم بارك
مرحبا بكم لمحبي الطيور في قناتي
25c. .lol sorry not 257
shefflera toxic is no good for the bird and cat dog ect ect