Questions about aviary wire

04-26-2007, 04:13 PM

I have been slowly saving with the intent of building an aviary for my guys- a nice place to chuck them out in the summertime and nice weather, that they can blow off steam. Convential aviaries are a bit too expensive, and I was hoping for something that came apart in panels, that I could easily assemble/disassemble for storage, etc.
I've been looking at plans online and come to the conclusion that it should be relatively easy to build my own. My question is about the wire. I see the majority of places seem to sell galvanised wire, which I have been reading conflicting info on. Is it safe or not? Wash with vinegar, or no? I've noticed lots of threads here concerning aviary setups, and hoping that someone would be willing to share their advice/input.

04-26-2007, 05:21 PM

We made indoor aviary type cages using SS welded wire and anodized aluminum tubing for the frame.

You can see a picture here:
Play Cages

This is where I purchased the stainless steel welded wire.
Welded Stainless Wire Mesh

This is where I purchased the Anodized Aluminum Square Tubing and Connectors for the frames. On the fasteners page they have threaded inserts. We used those and made it so the panels can be screwed together just like regular cage sections do.
Brunner - Anodized Aluminum

I'm thinking of possibly doing a PVC frame with the SS Mesh for an outside enclosure.

04-26-2007, 05:32 PM

I have never purchased from here, but this site uses Galvanized after Welding mesh, and they also sell doors separately:
Aviaries

04-26-2007, 05:49 PM

I have been doing lots of reading about Galvanized Wire. I found this on Wayne's Bottlebrush site and it caught my eye, because I have seen some nice dog kennels that are electroplated. The spacing would probably be too big for your fids but you might be able to find some electroplated wire at a more reasonable price than SS.

Lets find SAFE parrot stuff. I stand on my soapbox and HOWL!

Quote:

Wayne writes: I went to the Internet, and found the following:

Quote:

Let's start with what you probably shouldn't use. The better types of welded, galvanized wire may be suitable for some flights. The galvanizing process coats the iron wire and prevents rusting. Properly done, the coating does not chip or peel off. However, zinc is in the coating. If your bird is a big chewer and ingests any coating, zinc poisoning is possible.

This was written by a Veterinarian who gives parrot advise. Again, he doesn't understand the difference between Galvanized and Electroplated. Galvanized wire is dipped in Zinc like dipping an ice cream cone in chocolate. Look at a chain link fence, most are Galvanized. Galvanized metal is easily flaked of, and pieces of Zinc can be ingested. Galvanized should NOT be used for birds, period. I have NEVER seen any parrot toys, etc, that use Galvanized Hardware. Electroplating uses an electric charge and the amount of Zinc present is microscopic. This is like Gold Plating something. In order for your bird to have a problem with Zinc, it requires ingesting pieces of metal. They can't get that from Electroplated Hardware, period.

05-03-2007, 05:30 AM

Thanks for the information- I am printing it out right now! I have lots of reading to catch up on, it appears.