What do you use as floor/bedding in your aviary?

appps

Crowing
11 Years
Aug 29, 2012
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Australia
I've been given an aviary for my pigeons. It just sits on the ground and eventually will go in a different spot so no concrete floor.

I'm wondering what to put on the ground. I was thinking a sort of deep litter sort of thing with wood shavings but it's exposed to the rain in a large area so will that be a problem if it gets wet getting it dry again?

If I just leave it bare grassy ground in thinking it's going to get really poopy and be hard to clean.

Ideas appreciated!
 
My advise is to use concrete and then scrape it clean each day. No need for bedding.

However, if you aviary is covered from rain and stays dry inside I recommend a deep layer of sand.

It will stick to poop and dry them out.. and you can rake or sieve out the poops about once a week. It stays odor free so long as it does not get wet or damp. and you never need to replace it... so its very cost effective.. and looks nice. the pigeon also seem to like pecking about in it.
 
I can't concrete because eventually hubby is building me a pretty octagon one and this will go to my sisters. I don't want to be left with the concrete slab where we have it till then because it will be in the way of my landscaping plans :)

3/4 is open to the weather, there is just a cover on one end so it's definatly going to get wet.
 
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I'm wondering what to put on the ground. I was thinking a sort of deep litter sort of thing with wood shavings but it's exposed to the rain in a large area so will that be a problem if it gets wet getting it dry again?

If I just leave it bare grassy ground in thinking it's going to get really poopy and be hard to clean.
I would move the aviary every day or second day to a fresh area that way the poop would not have a chance to concentrate. I would then spray that area with a garden hose to dispense the poop into the ground and off the grass.

Ideas appreciated!
In my loft I do not bother with bedding I find as my pigeons fly from on area to another the bedding migrates to the outer perimeter of the structure leaving the floor exposed.
Instead I have 3 tarps that I interchange when necessary.
Leave the soiled tarp in the sun for the poop to bake and harden and it just flakes off when I drag the back side of my garden rake over it. Fold the tarp in half and then just pour it into my compost bin.


In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit. When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new. Feed bags are a nylon mesh bag.
Frozen poop just peels off in below freezing temperatures and just flakes off in summer when left out in the sun to bake and dry.


I have 65 trips around the sun it is the best method I have stumbled upon.

Make sure the twine is removed from the open end of the bag it can get tangled around your birds.





I use a 10" dog bowl for pigeon nest filled with pine needles or wood shavings.




Easy Peasy.
 
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Unfortunatly the aviary weighs a tonne! It took five of us to get it round to the back yard so moving isn't a simple option. I also have a clothesline about to go back in which is going to sort of be in the way for moving it again.

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I have to remove the existing nest box and then the pair in the little house next to it are also going in there. Babysitting those for some time as my sister has just moved to a pet free unit for a while. The blue is an old yoga mat I thought might be easy to pull out and hose off but I think I'm just going to freak them out, plus it stays wet in puddles.

I'm wondering if a twist on your idea may work though. I've got some of that geo fabric you use in drainage, maybe I could put that down and put something on top just in the covered end making it easier to remove if it gets too wet.
 
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I use hay for every thing I leave a pile in a corner hanging 2' off the ground I use sand on the floor so the droppings don't stick when it's cleaning time I use a small rake and up they come and the sand stays and then in 5 to 6 weeks I clean up the sand and repeat!
 

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