Aussie Finch Forum

Matt, I would be interested in the details of your mister setup as I am contemplating one for my aviary forsummer.

Any pics of the auto drinker setup? Im trialling one myself.

The mist system which I have just installed accross my 2 aviarys at home and for my chooks also is the same as what I would like to install on my new aviary as it is quite a simple & cost effective setup. Basically all the components are from my local Bunnings in the garden hose section.
Pope 13mm Polypipe 2 of 20m Rolls around $3.60 a roll.
13mm Tap Adapter/Connection Kit $14 which includes a 100kpa Pressure Reducer
13mm Inline Barbed Tap $3.05
10 Pack of Pope Mist Microjet 4mm Nozzles $6.50
Got a handfull of 13mm PCV saddles & some locking rings also about 15c each.
TOTAL of around $32.75 for the full setup. Already had a standard hose/tap timer which I will connect into the system on warmer months to come on automatically for an hour each day maybe in afternoon hot sun. Will post up some pics of the setup tomorrow sometime.

As for the automatic drinker setup still looking into that, but thinking of using the same components but different nozzles or no nozzles at all just extened pipes on a timer system that would only come on maybe once or twice a day for a minute or so just to top up small bowls with fresh water, if full will just overflow to the ground a little or a pond/bath underneath. That would probably be the cheapest & easiest way I can think of at the moment.

Mickp has set up an auto waterer in one of his aviaries, there is a pic on the forum......will see if I can find it again.

EDIT.... there you go

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=147&start=50

Matt - VNET Pro wrote:treated pine as cheaper than steel & not a great welder so timber much easier to work with and then 12mm square mesh & tin cladding around walls finishing off with corrugated and laserlite roofing

Oh, you have to try QUBELOK!!! I am currently building a new aviary as we speak, and I have designed it from the ground up. The BEST thing I ever did was to use QUBELOK. QUBELOK is a 25mm square aluminium extrusion. It all connects together via hard plastic joiners. I cannot speak highly enough of this stuff. It is so light weight but strong and so easy to use. All you need is a drop saw (mitre saw) with a non ferrous blade (not a wood blade) and a rubber mallet!

Based on my experience with my aviary, you could easily cut and erect one of your flights in about ½ hour! And to boot, that price of QUBELOK and connectors is dirt cheap compared to steel.

It comes in 6.5m lengths @ $21.00 ea. And connectors vary in price from about $1.30 - $2.50.

The only place I know where to order it from is here in Brisbane.

Capral Limited
67 Parramatta Road
Slacks Creek QLD 4115

Contact:
Nathan Edwards
Branch Sales Co-Oridinator
PH: 07 3290 9400
FAX: 07 3208 8729
[email protected]

Another point, I realise it costs more, but I use 6.5mm wire mesh on everything, then paint it black (so it is easy to see through). This is completely vermin proof. I have a 600mm deep x 100mm wide rat wall, Qubelok bolted straight on with dyna bolts, then covered in it all in 6.5mm x 6.5mm (1/4") and like you have Laserlight panels on top back and sides. I also put an auto watering system in and was the best thing I did! I couldn’t live without it now.

Oh, and that mesh was half the price of Bunnings at Metal Land. So I got the Metal Land price, plus 10% off from Bunnings!! I got 30m for $128.90 whoot whoot!!

I would love to see a couple of photos of your setup dano.

Ditto what dano said about Qubelock. I used it on my latest aviary and it is so easy and fast. The finished product is very neat as well. I used the black anodised version so I didn't even need to paint it. The only downside is it wont span very far unsupported. For 1.2m wide flights it is perfect though and I wouldn't use anything else now. I have an account with Capral so if anyone is in need of some, just send me a pm.

Sounds like your gonna have a great set up matt

A couple of things worth considering

Take care when housing birds which have high livefood in take requirements ie melbas with things such a parrotfinches who will eat live food just because its there - they do get obesely fat and then the melbas don't breed because they aren't getting enough livefood and the parrotfinches (red, blues and tri's) don't breed because they get too fat.

Other species if fed mealworms just chew the heads off (cordons and sometimes melbas) mealworms for fun. Therefore your livefood doesn't stay that way for long.

Given the right combinations I would probably run up to six pairs in avairies of such dimensions. Selecting compatible species being the key - not only in personality but also feeding requirements.

Being a new age Noah isn't ideal. Having at least couple of pairs of each species makes practical sense. Not only do you have backup stock but you should also be able to sell off unrelated pairs.

I would pick a few "cornerstone species" - double bars, gouldians, painteds, plumheads, african fires, orange breasts and then add a couple of others that are a little more challenging - cordons, parrotfinches, st helenas, red brows. It is important though to only keep species that you yourself really like - you are doing this for your enjoyment.

Most importantly, and I have gone through you previous posts you will need to build or set aside a reasonable sized aviary as a holding cage, other wise the breeding aviaries quickly become ovcercrowded - must be confident.

The qubelok is also at Bunnings , any photos would be great as the next conure cage will be a suspended made from qubelok and have never used it before .