Do-It-Yourself by LowchensAustralia.com

Aviary Cage Wire

 

Type: Our flock is housed outdoors and their cages are exposed to the weather. For that reason, we now only use welded wire that is galvanized after welding. It cost a bit more, but the welds seem stronger and the cages last much longer. For our Green Winged Macaws, we use galvanized chain link fence panels that bolt together .

Size: We have tried 2" x 4 ", 1" x 2", 1" x 1", 1/2" x 1", 1/2" x 3. As we bought flocks from breeders who were going out of business, we often time got their cages also. While this was a great time saver and less expensive on the front end, we have paid for it later by modifying and eventually having to replace them. Our preferred wire is 1" x 1" or 1/2" x 1". As with any wire, there are pros and con with this wire also.

Observations:

1. 2" x 4" - (Came with a pair of Moluccan's we bought). Pro's: Cheap and available at most hardware stores. Nothing ever build up on the bottom of the cages. Con's: Absolutely the worst, in my opinion! Doesn't hold up well, allows larger critters in (the squirrels had a field day) and does not provide good footing for the birds to walk and climb on.
2. 1" x 2" - This was the first wire we bought, it was galvanized before welding. Pro's: Cheap, available from most hardware stores. Con's: The smaller birds had difficulty griping this and it allowed good sized critters in and rusted out within two years.
3. 1" x 1" - Our preferred wire for most of our flock ( most Macaws, Cockatoos, Eclectus, African Greys, Poicephalus and most conures) . Pro's: A good wire for a wide assortment of birds. Easy for them to grip and yet still allows discarded food, chewed wood splinters and droppings to fall through. Con's: Small mice can still squeeze through the holes. Usually must be specially ordered. Still too big for our Black Capped Conures who like to put their heads through the wire. Too difficult and small for the Green Winged Macaws to grip.
4. 1/2" x 1" - Great for smaller birds (small conures, tiels, etc). we used this size a lot when we bred smaller birds. Pro's: Provides good footing for the little guys, keeps out most all critters. Con's: Usually have to special order it and chewed wood, discarded food will not fall through.
5. 1/2" x 3" - I don't like working with this size because it is difficult to match up when adding on nest box holders, perch holders and feeder stations. Everything must be designed in three inch increments.

Gauge: This will greatly vary depending on what species you breed. For our flock, we use usually 16 gauge wire. It is a good general species wire and has the strength to hold up with the weight of nest boxes attached.