Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 11:40 am Post subject: Uk weather & aviary question....
Hiya!
Just about to start making plans for my outdoor flight/aviary. I was wondering if there are any UK members who can give me some advice? Up here in the NW, it got to minus 14 last winter, with 2ft of snow. I am presuming I will need to insulating the aviary, if so- then what are the best ways? Or, Should I bring the birds in? How extreme a condition can the kakariki handle comfortably? Thankyou. :)
There are some old threads 3/5 yrs back, maybe more on temps, high and low.
Google for weather Stewart Island
The natural eviroment for kakariki does include snow ice in winter for many areas Sth in NZ
They are bloody hardy.
Shelter from prevailing winter cold winds..or at least have a back cnr they can get up into partitioned off.
Building an avairy....kings , crimsons, burkes, turqs can all be kepr in wooden framed 2"x2"
There is a very old thread how to...we still build basically the same, foundations, floors etc, but construction now is more 'kitset'
1.2m wide..thats the width of a sheet of ply, as is 2.4 m long.
A front frame with mesh built, and a side module...we put doors in the internal walls and the back 1/2 is ply.
The whole thing is held to gether with wood screws....
The roof and back ply sheets hold the walls together
the front attaches with triangular ply plates screwed...remove the screws in these and the front falls down, remove the screws in the roof and back and the walls fall down
If you want to show off your birds, even breeding kakariki...instead having them deep, they are veiwed from the side....flights end to end, rather than side by side....this takes a lot more materials and space.
So to get around this have your holding flight side on, the rest deep.
Have a look in the gallery, my album...which is now way out of date.
Hope the sescription above doesnt confuse you. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
No, not at all, thats fantastic! I'm going to be doing a whole heap more reading on the kakariki in general, so natural habitat is very high on the list. Im determined my two wonderful little birds will live a life of luxury and as close to 'natural' as possible. The flight size is going to be around 4mwide x 4mlong x 5.5ft high, with an additional internal covered area on the side of about 1.5mw x 4ml x 5ft h. I want them to be able to stretch their wings when their flight feathers grow back, (They were bought clipped ) and I want to be able to spend time in there comfortably too. Im considering putting outside working shutters on the flight area, for extra safety and weather protection in winter, shade in summer, then I can open and shut them as necessary. Breeding is not on the cards. ....Yet. So, you think they will be happy with that sort of set up?
My Kaks survived quite well during the winter. Where my avairy is has a mixed hedge along one side. It protects the bottom half of the avairy from the wind. Along the top half and roof we have got corregated plastic. So ours are well shelted. I expected to loose a lot of birds during the winter but didnt.
kakariki, as mentioned, are very very tough little birds.
They are nearly an alpine parrot.
Here in NZ we have just had a real cold spell with some record low temperatures throughout the country.
I have had a few chicks hatch out in the last week....in possibily the coldest days of the year!.
All the birds are used to ice skateing on their water trays!.
Minus 14 and 2 ft of snow...no worries.
I just make sure they can tuck themselves away under cover with a series baffles; the flights are under trees and the covered area has sheets of ply coming down from the roof and also across the front at about half the height of the flight, the birds have to go around, back further then under and then weave themselves through a shambles of woodwork in natural form and small shelves they find a place to nestle away in; though a bit of a maze they always find the best place to roost.
Of coarse with nest boxes buried in there too that is where they usually end up.
The design is sort of like a giant series of semi open nest boxs.
Flights positioned so they get the first of the low morning winter sun are best.
Prevailing wind should be blocked completely.
Bit hard to explain....I'll try and get some pics posted!.
Hi Stumbler! Photos would be appreciated thanks- sounds cosy. Glad to hear our weather isnt so much of a problem, wind chill is a real factor here near the Pennines- but i'm begining to realise my 'little uns' are tougher than they look! :)
Hi moko, we had -23 and gales last winter and my kaks came through unscathed.If you want to insulate the inside flight try solid insulation like Kingspan with a thin sheet of ply on top,then you'll just have to go out and break the ice on their drinkers and baths.
Hi Moko. The thing i found amazing with all of my birds. Kakis, Zebras,Javas and Budgies was that they all still wanted a bath every other day during the hard winter. When i did their bath water i made it a little warmer ( not much) and they were in it before i filled their tray up. These are so hardy its untrue. My eldest Kaki has just started laying and up to now we have 3 eggs, i never thought they would breed. So its every thing crossed.
Thankyou for the input people, very optimistic about housing them outside now!:) A friend has offered me some polystyrene sheets about 2 inches thick- I may double wall the enclosed area against wind chill. If they can get thru a Scottish winter, Bob, I have high hopes!! Much appreciated guys! And Good luck with the hatchlings! I dont really want to breed yet, I feel I have sooooo much to learn before then. And- I think one of my birds is a hybrid. He looks like a pied but he has a red cap with yellow feathers around the edge. If only I knew this before I bought him. But he's still lovely.
several members here have a small stack of 3-6 breeding cages to place the breeding pairs, then a large holding flight to house the birds that are not breeding.
Myself, I´ll try "winter breeding" for the first time this year. I have a rather "mild" winter, temps here almost never go below -1/-2ºC.
Only problem is wind, but I hope this winter I manage to shelter a bit more the aviaries.
Btw Moko, I hope all keepers and breeders were as responsible as you regarding the care of their birds and hybrids also. I have in the past pointed out about it to several wholesalers and amateurs and most of them deny me, or simply ignore me.
Keep it up mate!
Cheers / Pablo _________________ AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
Thanks Pablo, its definately a learning curve, but I truly believe ANY animal kept in captivity should be treated with care. Ive seen people with macaws in cages where they couldnt even stretch their wings without hitting the sides . Needless to say, my opinions on that matter made me no friends that day- but so be it! Education, Empathy, and common sense! I plan on having a lot more me the first before I try to progress any further! Cheers, Sanjra.
Hahaha! Steps, (May I call you that?) Not In the slightest! Doesnt bother me at all. My opinions may bother some, but not those that count. Never mind eh? Life goes on! Sanjra.
everyone i know with kaks in their aviaries all have indoors sheds attached which they go into if it gets to cold, this are insulted and lighted and a safe place to keep them warm
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