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Got an idea, opinions please
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Posted by magnumv8 5 (My Page) on Sat, Feb 3, 07 at 16:08
| The idea actually came to me in a dream, I don't know why. I hope I'm posting this in the right forum. If not, let me know which forum I should post this in.
Quite simply, the idea is an outdoor "aviary-paludarium." I would construct an enclosed area, approx. 8 ft tall, 10 ft long, 5 ft wide. A small pond, but big enough for some fish, dry land and shrubbery. The idea is to create a habitat for fish, geckos and pet store birds (finches). First of all, I don't know if these animals are even compatible.
The structure would be completely enclosed with screening material. The pond would be in-ground, with some sort of waterfall. A full size door would provide access for maintenance. But, another question I have is whether or not my full body presence would be welcomed by the geckos and birds. The plants would all be hardy to zone 5.
Yes, I do realize the birds and geckos wouldn't be able to survive the winter. I would bring them indoors and keep them in their own dedicated tanks/cages.
So this is just a rough outline. Is any of this feasible?
Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Got an idea, opinions please
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Hi
Don't know if it's feasible or not but have been doing it for many years..I keep a 12x20 shadehouse and a 8x15 aviary. The shadehouse is mainly for my tropical plants but also contains a small pond , seep wall and a 150 gallon aquarium. At present all the birds are maintained in the aviary but when the shadehouse is repaired from hurricane damage and the water systens are stabilized I'll return the
nectavores. I don't keep any reptiles on purpose lol but it also houses ,geckoes,anoles ,treefrogs and the occasional snake. I live in S. Florida so I have a great advantage from the weather(exceot for hurricanes lol)
If I lived in a colder area I'd think greenhouse ,year around housing.Birds are difficult but certainly not impossible to keep this way but the area can not be too big.
The more room the better. Try to build it self contained heating,water, lighting independent of your house. Think overgrown terrarium lol. Finches are not the best choice for this type setup along with Parrots they have some bad habits. Birds ,fish and reptiles obviously have different needs and habits .Combining them has both advantages and disadvantages. After all integrated multiple species enclosures have become the norm for most zoos.
First think about the enclosure the size you mention is not too bad but it can never be too big lol.Do plan on climate control, water and lighting. Obviously design the whole thing around what you want to keep. A greenhose,would probably give you the most options but there are many other ways .
Check around as to what this structure will cost,not only to build but maintain also.
IMO this is the only way to house birds from every aspect.
Have maintained mine for over twenty years and I still
love it. gary |
RE: Got an idea, opinions please
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| I would check into keeping finches if you haven't yet done so - they're rather delicate and need exacting care. Great idea, but I think you'd need very specific controls for the environment in general, and I'd also worry about waste from the lizards and what it could do (or not) to the birds, never mind what the snake might decide is 'lunch'. I personally wouldn't want to take on that kind of diversity without a lot of knowledge, money and well informed back-up help (if you get sick or travel at all. |
RE: Got an idea, opinions please
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Hi
What type finches are we talking?? Tropical Asian ,African?? Finches are one of the hardiest birds there are.In fact they're far easier than chickens lol. What "exacting" care is required?? Guess I missed that part in the forty odd years I've been keeping them lol
In a greenhouse setup the main problem would be what to do with all the offspring!! lol
gary |
RE: Got an idea, opinions please
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| Thanks for all the feedback. The reptile waste was not the first thing that came to mind as a possible problem, rather, the bird waste did. I've never kept reptiles or birds as pets, so, yes, I'm very interested in learning as much as possible....not just for this far off (unlikely) project, but for general knowledge. Gary, what are the bad habits of the finches you were talking about? |
RE: Got an idea, opinions please
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Hi
Again, what type of finches are we talking about?? Tropical or temperate?? Single or mixed species?? Seed eaters,frugavores or nectavores??
Bird waste will be your main problem in a small area but there are many ways around that. In that large an area
reptile waste is negligible unless you're talking Kommodo dragons,or Nile crocs lol I doubt you'd be keeping many birds with them or at least not very long lol.
What type plants did you have in mind and how important are they??
I'm an orchid geek so keep only nectavores with them. Mainly what the seedeaters do is peck at the plants or flowers. Waxbills are better but depends lol.
Nectavores which feed on the nectar of flowers are good because they not only don't harm the flowers will control insects. I keep redlegged honeycreepers as they are my favorite bird and they need the space especially to breed.
No finches come anywhere near the orchids except for some orange cheek waxbills. They will force their way into opening flowers and cause indirect harm.
If you're interested I could send you some pix of my setup B.W. (before Wilma lol) or some sites that deal with integrated habitats.
You sound like you have no experience with birds?? Are you more interested in tropical or temperate setups?? gary |
RE: Got an idea, opinions please
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| Yes, ABSOLUTELY NO experience with pet birds. The pet stores around here carry Zebra, Society, Spice and European finches. Tropical or temperate, I don't know. I'm sure you'll tell me....LOL. Like I mentioned before, the plants would be zone 5 hardy....a couple dwarf evergreens and groundcovers, Viburnum compactum, cardinal flowers, hostas, coral bells.... orchids and tropicals are out of the question. Money's too tight for a large greenhouse. My original "idea" was a netted enclosure. I've been known to swing a hammer or two, so actually building the enclosure is well within range. The birds and geckos would just have to be brought inside for the winter. Tropical or temperate???? Definitely temperate. I would much rather not have to worry about overwintering the animals inside my house. But I don't think the geckos or finches would take kindly to our cold zone 5 winters, and native species are obviously not a possibility. So I'd just have to make do with what I can. Yes, post some pics and links. |
RE: Got an idea, opinions please
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Hi
Do a google on "Aviaries" or "planted aviaries" There's also the NFSS website that will give you species profiles
of many finches and softbill birds. .
Also the gamebird family. Pheasants ,Quail,Dove ,Pigeons
and Waterfowl. There's a wonderful site covering these.
I subscribe to several bird lists that have tons of info.
Be sure to give the enclosure a lot of thought . The main problem is not the birds getting out but things getting in.Cats ,snakes ,insects, even kids lol
You could certainly keep an aviary as you describe but will limit what you keep. Many people summer their birds out.
Guess I should explain NFSS lol National finch and softbill society happy surfing!! gary
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RE: Got an idea, opinions please
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| Hi, part of the problem as I see it, is that Gary's in Fla., where his birds probably live outdoors, but in zone 5, yours have to be inside and therefore setting up and maintaining the environment will be harder, never mind planning for power outs of more than a couple of hours (tiny finches like Zebras, etc. will not do well at all if they suddenly lose heat for any length of time and, again, Gary you may be an old hand at this, but as Magnum isn't, I really, really think he should get in touch with local societies to learn in depth what's required to take proper care of them, and not depend on internet tips! |
RE: Got an idea, opinions please
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hello
The main problem with that is that most bird clubs are centered on parrots. Most people who do keep finches keep them in cages and those that do keep aviaries are mostly single species. If there is a good local club with people who maintain birds this way GREAT!!!!
Those sites will show pix of many species,aviary setups
furniture.Cross referenced compatible species. Lists of Avian vets and local clubs for the US and Europe. Bird shows and sales in any specific area. What to look for when purchasing birds.tons of advice on how to recognize heaalthy birds and what to avoid.Mostly geared to people who have never kept birds and on and on and on.
In this case it would help decide if he wants to do it in the first place and if so which species and proper housing. After all it's not necessary to keep finches and IMO a poor choice for his idea.
I would never keep birds within cages nor would I ever buy one from a "PET" shop. gary |
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