Keeping birds

This page describes some design and details of my birdhouse.

My birdhouse is the product of many years of experience, my own as well as that of others. In addition to developing my own solutions, I have always been keen to learn from fellow breeders and to look for commercially available hardware, and to further improve on this wherever possible.

I have been fortunate to enjoy both professional training and job experience in product development and at the time me and my wife got the chance to build our own house, I designed it in such a way that I could add room especially for keeping and breeding my birds.

Because I could start from scratch, I was able to design the entire building for maximum efficiency and ease of use, so that I could devote my time to my hobby instead of having to act as a kind of glorified stableman. Approximately 50 m2 (550 sq.ft) of the house is dedicated to the birdhouse. This includes a utility space and a small office. The birdhouse as such has been conceived as a multifunctional space, combining elements of a birdhouse and a tropical greenhouse. As I also take an active interest in tropical fishes and plants, I visited various zoos to ask staff for advice and to study the design. As a result, my birdhouse, which I have named “AVITOON”, bears some resemblance to the tropical greenhouses one finds in zoos. True, it did cost me a euro or two, but then, it was money well spent!

What I describe on this page and in my book ‘Breeding Estrildid Finches’ is just one way of keeping birds and of course there are many other good methods. The instructions I give are meant as advices. By describing the how and why of the construction and furnishing of my birdhouse, I hope to present my readers with useful ideas and ‘alternative solutions’.

My birdroom

The birdhouse itself measures about 6.5 x 6.5 m (22 x 22 ft), with the ceiling at 2.50 m (8.5 ft). The walls are thermally insulated and the south wall has double-glazed windows with ventilation louvres, plus a door to the garden; the passage is fitted with an insect screen. In the middle of the …

Furnishing

Cages The cages measuring 100x50x50 cm and 125x60x60 cm, below which there are four large exercise cages of 125x125x70 cm. Construction The cages are own design. The under and upper parts and the side ends are made of multiplex. The plastered wall of the room is the back of the cage. The partitions are frames, made …

Tips

These tips, and many more, are in the book Breeding Estridid Finches.