We just got done taking down the outdoor aviaries and thoughts for next year are already on our minds. Next year they will be much bigger to allow flight and will be set up on the lawn and not the deck.

So what do you use for the bottoms? I don't want a concrete pad for fear of them falling and hitting hard concrete. (Should I not worry about that?) Kita will go the bottom to play and rummage around. Is it safe to just have grass? Should we remove the sod and replace with wood chips? Suggestions welcomed, thanks!

Karen, when we built ours we were concerned with the falling too. So we rented a wood chipper and made our own natural wood chips. Which over the years have rottened and turned to a organic haven to plant stuff. In the spring, I buy a big old bag of organic wild bird seed and throw it out there. The birds get their showers outside in the spring and summer , which in turn waters the plants and seeds in the aviary. They then get to go to the bottom and eat the seedling, plants and growing bird seeds. They love it. I don't know what others do, but that is what we did. Also, we added quail, button and Texas A&M, they eat all the little bugs and really help keep it clean.

If your grass is healthy, pesticide free, plain grass will provide the most fun and be best. You may not have a lawn left since macaws, if they floor players, will rip the grass out for fun. This is only possible in areas that wont grow mushrooms in the grass, some are poisonous.

The bird park has free walking macaws, they stay on perches and their own section of lawn during the day. It is too funny too see the triangle shovel gardening marks and the square replaced sod side by side in a pristine garden.
My new aviaries are going to have the outside flight area lawn grass oversown with other wild grasses. Banjo's day aviary is a frame so far.

I wanted bob whites, we have had button quails for years, they are great to watch but don't eat the bugs the way I needed them too. So I got texas A&M, yep that's it. Cute little things, they seem to be more friendly than the little one. I love watching them.

As far as the outside critters go, we have chainlink on the inside, to protect the wood from the parrots and then a 4x4. Then outside we put up, 1x1/2 chicken wire. On the inside with the chainlink we dug down 6 inches and curved the chainlink inwards. On the outside we did the same with the chicken wire only we curved outwards, then covered with dirt. Over all the years, no other critters have been able to get in. But the stupid snake we had over the summer. I still can't figure that one out.

IMO & IME, coarse play sand/silica is the best floor to use, as long as it doesn't get wet from rain, snow, showering of the birds. Best to have a separate attached food court or feeding area where the birds can go to eat and drink and a separate showering area - these areas would be suspended with a wire bottom for dropped food and spilled water to fall thru, outside of the main aviary.

Sod, wood chips and pebbles/rocks all hold too much moisture, thus too many bacterial organisms proliferate = very dangerous. Hard concrete looks messy & of course unnatural and needs to be hosed off daily or as often as possible but bacteria still lingers unless the concrete has sufficient enough time to completely dry off/out.

Joel,

I would LOVE to see pics of yours. Is that a possibly?

I have a question for everyone. When putting an outside aviary, how big does it really have to be. I guess pretty big if your birds do fly. I am thinking about doing this next year. But would have no clue where to start.

I found a quote from another thread which says:

That quote was by ~J~ by the way.

Thank you for finding that. We are deciding if we want to build one next year. We'll see what happens.