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AVIARIES
Our aluminum aviary panels create natural spaces and freedom for your feathered friends.
Here at MAD-PARROT.com we are proud to be a UK manufacturer of high quality custom built bespoke aviary flights for birds from Macaws down to the smallest of finches. Our aviaries are known to be of the highest quality available on the UK market and we deliver nationwide..
After 50 years of keeping a vast array of birds from finches, to weaver birds, doves, pigeons, quail, pheasants, peacocks, ducks, geese, parakeets, parrots, macaws and even black swans I have learned a few lessons along the way about how to build a good aviary. By visiting this web site today you are probably considering designing a new aviary so let’s focus on what you might need to consider.
Your first decision will be whether to make your aviary from wood frames with a life expectancy of around 10 years or to spend extra and get a far better product using aluminum frames which will last more than 25 years. Wood frames are more forgiving and can easily be painted to fit in with your surroundings, whereas aluminum is more noticeable but it will outlast any wooden aviary many times over and if you you don’t like the shiny metal finish you can always paint it.
Over the years I have leaned towards using aluminum aviaries for my birds for two reasons – they are low maintenance and rodent proof.
Your second decision will be to choose which type of wire you want to use – There is a separate page on this web site that just focuses on giving you guidance on your wire options.
If you are keeping small birds then ½” x ½” mesh made from 19 gauge galvanized wire will be your preferred choice because this will keep out mice, rats and weasels. For medium size birds you might choose 1” x ½” galvanized 19 gauge mesh but keep in mind this will only keep out rats, not mice, and finally if you are keeping large birds such as pheasants, parrots or macaws you may prefer 1” x 1” mesh but most rodents can squeeze through 1”.
Some aviculturists believe that cheap galvanized wire can be poisonous to parrot like birds such as budgies, parakeets, parrots, cockatoos and macaws as they often chew their enclosures so in this instance you could specify stainless steel mesh instead even though it is more expensive. After all what is the point of spending a huge amount of money on your parrots only to risk their health with cheap wire.
Another factor to bear in mind is do you want your wire to be on the inside of the framework or the outside – this is especially important with wooden frames as birds can chew the wood, if they can get at it. In my opinion you should always keep the structure on the outside of the wire. After all, if you are painting the structure or doing routine maintenance it is a lot easier if the structure is on the outside.
Your third decision is what type of floor surface to have. in your aviary Ideally this should be flag stones or concrete to keep rodents at bay or you could lay ½” x ½” mesh on the floor and cover with soil or chippings and stitch this to the side walls to ensure rodents are kept outside the enclosure. Think of it like a six sided box made entirely out of wire safely keeping the peskie’s at bay.
Finally the aviary door needs some thought as this can be the “weak link in the design” - if rodents are going to get in anywhere it is here! They can often squeeze through the gaps in door frames so I always build a “rat run panel” into the bottom of my door frames to make it harder for them.
Another lesson I learnt the hard way is never to install a full height door on an aviary, why? because birds fly high when panicked or disturbed so they are more likely to try to fly over your head to escape rather than to fly past you and this is dramatically reduced if there is a fixed wire panel above the door to stop their escape.
Some customers prefer to have an "air lock" style second door to prevent escapes but this is often not possible due to limited space, and frankly I think they look like an after thought stuck on a pleasant aviary design.
I always try to fit a 1000mm x 600mm door in my aviaries irrespective of the enclosure height in order to alleviate these issues, but that is my choice and you may feel you want something different and at the end of the day it is your design that matters - you are the customer!
We can offer you a wide choice of frame panels and doors made from wood or aluminum and these can be seen on our “Standard panels” page but bear in mind every aviary is hand made so if you want special sizes feel free to discuss this with us.
ALUMINUM AVIARIES
Our aviaries are available in a selection of aluminum frames and doors which can be assembled and disassembled at will to make wall mounted or free standing aviary designs of your choice and come with the add on benefit of being rodent resistant and almost totally maintenance free.
WALL MOUNTED
FREE STANDING
3FT X 3FT X 6FT
3FT X 6FT X 6FT
9FT X 6FT X 3FT
9FT X 6FT X 3FT
6FT X 6FT X 6FT
9FT X 6FT X 6FT
FREE STANDING 12FT X 6FT X 6FT WITH FULL HEIGHT DOOR
DOUBLE AVIARY
TRIPLE AVIARY
OR SOMETHING MORE UNUSUAL .....
WE USE OUR PRODUCTS OURSELVES
We don't just make aviaries for others we make them for our own use as well. Here is one I made for my birds in April 2022 ready for the breeding season.
PAINTED ALUMINUM FRAMES
For a small extra charge of £20 for a frame or £30 for a door panel, our aluminum frames can be powder coat painted in any RAL number although RAL 9005 Black is by far the most popular alternative to our most popular unpainted frames.
ADD A LITTLE COLOUR TO YOUR DESIGN
Our aviaries can easily be painted to enhance the design
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