Your Suggestions, Ideas Please

[Lucas]

Good Day, All. I am dreaming of an aviary under Our seldom-used back porch, an area about ten by fourteen, which already has a metal roof. Am wondering what material have Folks found which would safely work for Macaws, and at the same time (actually it would be at DIFFERENT times) would also suffice for tiels or the other smaller species... Am I flying up the wrong tree here? Perhaps I ( as usual ) am wishing for too much!!! Would appreciate suggestions for open air enclosure for the three sides. Thank You in advance, Lucas

[Irish]

I know they make stainless steel mesh with openings in different sizes specifically designed for making aviaries. You might look into that--you can probably find something big enough to be safe and strong for the macaws, yet still small enough that the 'tiels can't poke their heads through. I believe SS mesh is very spendy, though, and hardware and big box stores don't carry it--you have to purchase it online.

You can get rolls of commonly-used garden mesh fencing and hardware cloth with various sized openings at places like Lowe's and Home Depot, too, but they won't be stainless steel. We've used such things as temporary roofing for the aviaries (which have 2"x4" openings--way too big for 'tiels, so I won't even give you the contact info for that stuff), here, while we waited for the custom roofing we ordered, and in that application, it worked fine. Thing is, if it's not strong, it could break under a macaw beak, and if the fencing happens to be galvanized, ingesting the zinc coating could be dangerous, too.

IF you can afford it, that SS mesh for aviaries would be great. We couldn't, which is why we're not using it.

[2horse]

Welded mesh either ss or galv that is painted works. Trouble is that 13mm x 25mm (think 1"x1/2") gaps made with 2.5 (0.0984251969 Inch) or 3mm (0.1181102362 Inch) wire is real expensive. My aviaries hold conures (1.65mm) it is fine for them but I cant leave Banjo too long since I think she can cut it or break welds to unweave it. As she is a baby she does not yet have enough beak strength to do this. I am planning on 2.5mm wire with 25mm square gaps. I don't want bigger gaps as then I need bigger wire to remove the play in the wire.