ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS ON KEEPING AUSTRALIAN FINCHES
Part 2 - The Outside Flight
By John Williams
Now that the birdroom is well under way, attention can turn to the outside flight [if required] especially the floor covering.
A planted flight looks more attractive than bare concrete, it may also encourage some of the more difficult species to breed, but if the aviary is relatively small the soil may become sour and harbor diseases. A better option may be to have the plants in tubs and containers on a base of paving slabs etc, if you decide on either paving slabs or concrete floor careful attention should be paid to drainage, by including a slight slope to the surface, so that water can drain off and not accumulate on the floor of the flight. The water can be drained out of the flight by pieces of narrow bore plastic set at floor level, lowest point. A further option can be pea gravel [or similar ] this however does need digging out from time to time.
The construction of the flight is straight forward, using the same sawn timber 50mmx38mm [2 x l 1/2] screwed and jointed, with a halving joint. The size of the flight panels should correspond to the standard width mesh 36in [90 cm ] it is a good idea to make the flight panels in 6ft lengths sub-divided into two 3ft sections [see illustration] this allows for easy handling. When screwed together the panels can be easily dismantled, allowing the flight to be moved or expanded. Once the timber is cut to size unless it is pre-treated it should be given 2-3 coats of wood preservative [preferably water based] and allowed to dry before assembling the panels. These should be covered with 1/2in mesh 19g is ideal ,this size mesh is preferable to the 1.0x0.5in [2.5 x 1.25cm ]mesh, the smaller size helping to keep out mice.
A safety porch if required, should be built over the entrance door, if you decide not to have a safety porch the alternative is to have the entrance door as low as possible, about 42in or so in height so that you have to stoop to enter, thereby reducing the risk of birds escaping over yourhead. The mesh can be stapled in place, pull the mesh down tightly keeping it taut and straight, BE CAREFUL when you cut the roll free, the loose cut edges have a habit of springing upwards and can cause quite nasty injuries, this is where an extra pair of hands come in handy.
Once completed the panels can be fixed in place, screw the sections together and fix the panels to the base with frame fixers or similar. The roof of the flight should be covered, to protect the birds from the worst of the weather and the droppings of wild birds, use translucent corrugated roofing sheets fixed over the top of the mesh roof panels, where the corrugated sheeting finishes fix up guttering to carry the rainwater away, preventing it from pouring into the flight. Once the flight is assembled and attached to the birdroom, the finishing touches can be put to the interior of the birdroom.
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The walls are insulated with either polystyrene sheet or Fiberglass loft insulation sandwiched between polythene sheet. The inner lining can be either Chipboard, Plywood or Hardboard. The door is also double skinned and insulated the same way.
The windows you can either utilize secondhand double glazing units or make your own as illustrated ,once you have made up the windows fix a 18mm[ ] timber fillet around the centre of the window this will give you the optimum gap, you can glaze the windows with either perspex or Horticultural glass, This can be sealed in place using clear silicon sealer. Before doing this drill a few drainage holes along the bottom edge of the window using a fairly small drill bit, this and placing some Silica Gel crystals between the panes of glass etc will help prevent condensation. Small plugs of glassfibre insulation should be inserted in the drainage holes to prevent insects getting in.
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