# Aviary and loft floors



## superflyer (Sep 13, 2008)

What is the best way to make floors? What is the ideal floor in a large outdoor aviary? I am thinking of putting some blocks in the ground and having some grass too. I am also wondering what floor is best indoors.


----------



## NayNay (Mar 16, 2011)

There are a lot of people with a lot of opinions on these subjects- but, a lot of it depends on the climate where you live, types of potential predators that you may be dealing with, etc. 

I am still new, but what I have read on here seems to indicate raised wire floor in aviary. Inside many use plywood, hotter climates and/or more money to spend go with metal grate floors. And others do a kinda combo deal where they put a raised floor over a plywood floor- which keeps the floors cleaner. I just use plywood, and scrape it frequently. 

I am working on a larger aviary at the moment, and am doing most of it as plywood floor, as most of it will have a roof. It is intended as a 3 season loft/aviary combo. The non plywood area will be 1/2 galvanized hardware cloth.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

in the loft thick pywood works fine. in an outdoor aviary IF it is coverd, I have left earthen floor and put about 7 inches of pine shavings down and tumble or rake it a few times a week..add more to the top when it starts to flatten down and decompose.. the earth will take care of the nasties...microbs in soil break down the droppings which should be dry becasue it is is a coverd area. That has worked very well for me.. if it is uncoverd and rain can come in then a wire floor would be better, or even cement if it is sloped and you can hose it off and if it is sunny will dry quick.


----------



## NayNay (Mar 16, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> in the loft thick pywood works fine. in an outdoor aviary IF it is coverd, I have left earthen floor and put about 7 inches of pine shavings down and tumble or rake it a few times a week..add more to the top when it starts to flatten down and decompose.. the earth will take care of the nasties...microbs in soil break down the droppings which should be dry becasue it is is a coverd area. That has worked very well for me.. if it is uncoverd and rain can come in then a wire floor would be better, or even cement if it is sloped and you can hose it off and if it is sunny will dry quick.


That is a really good point re the power of decomposition.

I am curious re how -or if where you live you need to protect the birds from predators tunneling into the aviary? Or perhaps it is only accessed by the birds during the day? 

I had to do some serious labor to make my chicken run raccoon proof, so I am always curious about this particular topic about how others set their aviaries up.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

NayNay said:


> That is a really good point re the power of decomposition.
> 
> I am curious re how -or if where you live you need to protect the birds from predators tunneling into the aviary? Or perhaps it is only accessed by the birds during the day?
> 
> I had to do some serious labor to make my chicken run raccoon proof, so I am always curious about this particular topic about how others set their aviaries up.


that is a good point.. the whole of the coverd aviary sits on cement pavers buried in the ground.. they are very thick and something would have to dig pretty far down to go down then back up into the aviary.. it has worked thus far..but I also have 5 dogs and the loft with this aviary is close to the house. It would take a stray dog or fox awhile to do it's thing at night and we woud know about it because of the dogs barking..they hear everything!...even bark for no apprent reason as far as I can see.. but it may of been a deer in the yard to something...they just know..lol.. but never say never...lol...


----------



## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Loft floorinf is like real estate it location location location. If weather is a concern then you have to do somethings if rain others, If you live where it warm and dry as I do then concret work wonderful. Easy to clean and kinda cheep. Just took to other near you and ask them. It would alway be helpful if you posted your location.


----------



## NayNay (Mar 16, 2011)

I agree with both of you on this- my pigeons are closer to the house than the chickens are- and as a result, closer to the dogs. The chicken run is secured similarly to what you have going on Spirit Wings- except in my case it is a deep trench of concrete securing an even deeper trench of HW cloth that is installed in an "L" shape, with the bottom of the "L" projecting outward from the run to thwart would be diggers.

And location really is everything in loft/aviary construction decisions.


----------



## superflyer (Sep 13, 2008)

Hey what is the chicken run like? I have two banty hens and a banty rooster, lots of pigeons and other birds too, most all of them rescues,we have lots of space now with 25 acres here we have room to build what they need. Also what do you folks think of painted concrete?


----------



## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

superflyer said:


> Hey what is the chicken run like? I have two banty hens and a banty rooster, lots of pigeons and other birds too, most all of them rescues,we have lots of space now with 25 acres here we have room to build what they need. Also what do you folks think of painted concrete?


If your in So Cal or Az in the desert I sure it will work fine but if your in smow country it is a NO GO


----------



## NayNay (Mar 16, 2011)

superflyer said:


> Hey what is the chicken run like? I have two banty hens and a banty rooster, lots of pigeons and other birds too, most all of them rescues,we have lots of space now with 25 acres here we have room to build what they need. Also what do you folks think of painted concrete?


Well, I am in the pac NW, with lots of rain, but moderate temps, and a little snow. My chicken run is small ish- but our birds free range on 1/3 acre a few times a week, and we only have 2 left, so it is plenty roomy for them. Started with 5, but they are good at dropping dead . And it has been over 4 years. Anyway, it is kinda like a fence would be built, with 6 ft 4x4 posts sunk into the ground 2 ft, 3 on each side, 2x4's all around, and 1/2" hardware cloth all over it, which I then sunk down 18", flared outward in an "L" shape, and set in concrete.  It is 4 ft wide, and 12 feet long, with a "Chicken Cabana"- at the far end - which is a roofed area that is open all around, but is large enough for 5 gallon feed and water containers so that they have more room in their coop. I throw sand and straw in whenever it gets too mushy, and that keeps it fairly sanitary, and relatively low odor. If I had it all to do over- I would make it tall enough to enter and clean though. or not. It works fine.


----------



## superflyer (Sep 13, 2008)

Thanks for the insight NayNay, I'd like to move to the pacific Northwest. I'm in tropical Northwest Indiana by lake Michigan.


----------



## NayNay (Mar 16, 2011)

superflyer said:


> Thanks for the insight NayNay, I'd like to move to the pacific Northwest. I'm in tropical Northwest Indiana by lake Michigan.


Yeah- my grandmothers side of the family is all in Indiana or Wisconsin, so I have been there in the summers- and it is too dang humid for me! Beautiful country though. 

I will spread the rumor that it rains every single day in Washington/Pac NW  , but truly we have my ideal weather. A little bit of every thing, but a lot of moderation. Lowest temps not too low, highest temps not that high, and a lot of just right. Of course during the "just right" it might be raining- but our summers are so amazing ( except when it rains like crazy the one weekend you are planning on going camping....) that I feel like we need our wet, cold-ish, dark winters to recover.  I've lived a lot of places, but I settled here, and 23 years later, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.


----------

