Aussie Finch Forum

sam, your mate needs a little spark (electric fence) to sort out the furry buggers....one zap is all it takes....they learn quick!
as a bonus it works on dogs,cats,neighbours kids etc etc....a must have in rural locations.

COUNTRY CAPITAL wrote:sam, your mate needs a little spark (electric fence) to sort out the furry buggers....one zap is all it takes....they learn quick!
as a bonus it works on dogs,cats,neighbours kids etc etc....a must have in rural locations.

Agreed. When I think about it, it's strange he hasn't got that sorted - he's an electrician!

Some electricians don't know much about e-fences

One came to sort out problems I had; charged me $100 to tell me it was and would need replacement

Purchased replacement and connected it . . still no liftoff. I fiddled for a couple of minutes and bingo

Tried the old one & bingo again

Luckily supplier took replacement back

North coast of nsw quoll can be a problem and big goannas 6 foot are common and of course Butcher birds

Trilobite wrote:Not to mention DRAGONS - seriously though only one rule as Danny has said is 4mm mesh and a sub-rule - rat walls to 600mm deep.

Would you think 6mm wire under aviary floor, 6mm underground sloping 45 degrees away from floor to dept of 600mm and strip of gravel all around is ok to keep mice/rats out?
trying to decide on how to proceed with my dirt floor conventional?
Thanks

I have used wire under my floor and had no problems so far with rats or mice coming up that way.

They say the wire will eventually rust but inspections after 5 years show no obvious problem. My wire is 50 mm under the floor. The wire sits on 50 mm off river sand with 50 mm of river sand on top.

One advantage is that when mice do get in the aviary (I have 12mm mesh on the walls) they try to bury into the ground but the wire stops them going too deep, so the mice cannot make nests and its pretty obvious where they have been.

Note that I don't have wire on the outside of the aviary just under my floorrs but the wire is embedded into the wall foundations so the mice cannot get between the wall and floor.

Hope that helps.

thanks Bob, much appreciated. I am planning on putting the wire at approx 300mm so I can grow some small plants.
Why did you use sand?
So if I use 6.5mm wire outside and under I should be with mice.

Other advice I got the other day was to keep the floor area around the aviary free of rubbish such as buckets, tools etc cause mice don't like to be out in the open where the owls can possibly spot them.

Now I have decided to go with the dirt floor my next point of attention is prevention of bacteria on the floor.
I am planning on placing food bowls on a large tray which will collect wasted food so it doesn't end up on the floor.
I also plan on covering the roof 3/4 so it doesn't get too wet when it rains.

Anyone got any more advice on how to minimise floor related problems?

Cheers

Excellent drainage will stop the floors staying wet for too long and decrease bacterial fungal and parasitic problems. Use gravel or coarse sand in these open areas if this fits into your plans ok.

As a general rule I try to build up the aviary floor so that it is higher than the surrounding ground again to aid drainage.

Myzomela wrote:Excellent drainage will stop the floors staying wet for too long and decrease bacterial fungal and parasitic problems. Use gravel or coarse sand in these open areas if this fits into your plans ok.

As a general rule I try to build up the aviary floor so that it is higher than the surrounding ground again to aid drainage.

Thanks Myzomela
I live in Queensland where it doesn't rain often but if it does it pours, therefore I am planning on putting a drainage grate in hooked up to storm water

Is your aviary fully roofed, if not put a layer of about 150 mm of coarse sand it will drain well and can be raked over.
In my aviary shelters where it is dry I put a bed of 12.5mm off cuts of bird wire down and covered it with sand.
This worked in all but one place, they dug around under it and eventually the sand above had been drained away leaving a
hole and they got in. In that area I lifted the wire put a bed of smallish stones, then the wire then the sand no more problems.
If you have good drainage and you live in a hot dry climate you are then able to flood water it/or over head sprays to help
the birds keep cool.
If you wish to plant decent size plants or grasses buy some of the biggest black plastic pots that are about 450 in diam. simply set it in the ground with the lip about 50mm above the ground. Then in another pot exactly the same put your plant in. Then simply drop the second pot into the first, it will fit because of the angle. The plant can be removed from your aviary when/if required, mice can't get in so all's good. Plants and grasses can be rotated as the 1st pot always remains in the ground.