NaturalBird.com Indoor and Outdoor Bird Enclosure FAQ:

For more information please see the very informative article by Bob and Liz Johnson entitled Home Improvement, the second half of the article gives detailed information and ideas for both indoor and outdoor bird safe enclosures.


1. What types of welded wire are safe to use for an indoor or outdoor enclosure?
2. What is the difference between galvanized before or galvanized after welding?
3. What about issues of zinc toxicity when using galvanized after weld wire?
4. Can you explain what is meant by Wire Gauge and Wire Spacing?
5. What size welded wire should I use for my bird?
6. How do I decipher the measurements given for welded wire?
7. What tools can be used for cutting welded wire?
8. How can I protect my birds from insects, rodents and predators in my outdoor enclosure?
9. How much space should be left between the interior wire, screen and predator wire?
10. What kind of wood is safe to use in my enclosure for toys, swings and perches?



What types of welded wire are safe to use for an indoor or outdoor enclosure?
What is the difference between galvanized before or galvanized after welding?

The following information was taken from a post written by Jim Moore to the NaturalBird list:  

Any metal that has iron in it rusts. Zinc does not rust. About 150 years ago when this was realized, someone came up with the idea of coating iron and steel (which is iron with other metals added and which also rusts) with zinc. The process is simple as zinc melts at about 780 degrees, whereas iron and steel melt at temperatures above 2000 degrees. So the iron or steel product is dipped in a bath of molten zinc which leaves it coated and prevents it from rusting. Now as to the problem of galvanized before and galvanized after welding: Mesh is made from individual strands of wire which run perpendicular to each other and which are welded together. Now to get the wire to weld together the joint of the wires must be heated to around 2500 degrees to cause the metal to become molten enough to fuse together. If the wire strands are galvanized before they are welded then the zinc coating at the welds (the intersections of the strands of wires) is destroyed and leaves a flaky residue which before long rusts. Needless to say that flaky residue is not good for parrots given their sensitivity to zinc. If the welds are made first and then galvanized (dipped in the molten zinc), then a continuous and much better coating of zinc results. Without getting into a whole explanation of manufacturing processes it is less expensive to galvanize before welding but a better product is achieved by galvanizing after welding.

For some info on galvanizing see: http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/MetalCoatings/Galvanizing.htm



What about issues of zinc toxicity when using galvanized after weld wire?

The following information was taken from a post written by Liz Johnsonto the NaturalBird list:  

We have used GAW wire for our habitat enclosures since 1977, when we got our first Hyacinth and built a flight for him when we lived in Miami. Stainless steel wire wasn't even around at that time, so we had no choice. In fact, GAW wire has been used for enclosures since the beginning of bird keeping as we know it, as that was the best wire there there was. Stainless steel is so prohibitively expensive, most breeders still use GAW wire. In Florida, hundreds of breeders house their birds outside, and all of them use GAW wire. We have had our current habitat for 16 years, and we have never had a case of zinc poisoning from it. It is true that excess zinc is toxic, but precautions can be taken to avoid this. I'm sure that everyone knows that weathering the wire outside for several months is helpful in getting rid of the zinc, as is washing it down with white vinegar before installing it. It is advisable to use a wire brush when washing it down with the vinegar, to break off any of the "burrs"
that might remain from the galvanizing, as this can be toxic if the bird swallows a piece of it. Calcium is antagonistic to zinc, so keeping the birds' calcium levels high also helps to prevent zinc poisoning. Apples contain pectin and malic acid which help io flush zinc as well as other heavy metals out of the system. Chlorella is a natural chelator, which is also helpful. The main danger of zinc poisoning from GAW wire is the bird breaking off a piece of the wire and swallowing it. This can overload the system with the zinc. This is why it is so important to have a heavy enough ga. wire so the bird can't break it. This is why we are having to redo our wiring to a heavier ga., as some of our newer birds are chewers.



Can you explain what is meant by Wire Gauge and Wire Spacing?  

The following information was modified from a post written by Leanne Burton to the NaturalBird list:

The two most important terms to understand for dealing with welded wire for birds is Wire Diameter (same thing as gauge) and Wire Spacing.   Here's a page that describes these terms with pictures.  When talking about wire gauges the *higher* the number the *smaller* the wire is.   In other words, 14 gauge is smaller than 12 gauge.   There are different standards, but I refer to wire gauges as follows:

    .063 inches thick as 16 gauge
    .080 inches thick as 14 gauge
    .10 inches thick as 12 gauge
This is the size or thickness of each individual strand of wire.  

Now, that is completely different than the wire spacing.   If you describe a welded wire as 1x1, that means from the center of one individual strand of the wire to the center of the next individual strand is 1 inch, whether you are measuring from top to bottom or left to right.   1/2 x 1 means you have a rectangular space, measuring top to bottom you have 1/2 inch & measuring left to right you have 1 inch.  

A general guideline for using a welded wire with a wire spacing of greater than 1" (for example a 3" x 1/2" wire), you need to go to the next largest gauge (for example from a 12 gauge to a 10 gauge).   This is due to having 3 inches worth of horizontally run wires without any vertical wires supporting it.   Without those supporting wires, a bird's beak can bend the wire. 



What size welded wire should I use for my bird?

If your smallest bird requires a cage with less than 1 inch bar spacing, then you would want to use a welded wire with a wire spacing of ½ inch by 1 inch or ¾ inch by ¾ inch.   Larger birds will also do fine with this wire.   If you will not have any small birds that would be in danger of sticking their head through a 1 inch opening in the enclosure, then you can use a welded wire with a wire spacing of 1 inch by 1 inch, which is usually a little less expensive.

The following guidelines for wire gauge were adapted from an article entitled Home Improvement by Bob and Liz Johnson of the Shyne Foundation:

These guidelines apply only to the wire spacing sizes mentioned above.   If you use a welded wire with a larger spacing, you will need a larger gauge of wire than what is recommended below.
    •  16 gauge wire can be used for African Greys , Amazons and smaller birds
    •  At least 14 gauge wire should be used for birds larger than African Greys and Amazons up through Macaws, excluding Greenwing and Hyacinth Macaws
    •  12 gauge or larger wire is required for Greenwing and Hyacinth Macaws

If for any reason you suspect your bird will be likely to chew on the welded wire, you can always move up to a larger gauge wire.



How do I decipher the measurements given for welded wire?

The following information was modified from a post written by Leanne Burton to the NaturalBird list:  

You may see wire referred to with many different measurements: 1/2" x 1" x 48" x 100', 16 gauge This wire spacing is 1/2" x 1" , the entire roll of wire is 48" wide and it is 100 feet long.   The individual strands of wire are 16 gauge .  

You may also see wire measurements written like this: 1/2" x 1" .063 This wire spacing is 1/2" x 1" and the individual strands of wire are 16 gauge (same as above).   This measurement doesn't tell us how wide the roll is or how long the roll is. 



What tools can be used for cutting welded wire?

The following information was modified from a post written by Leanne Burton to the NaturalBird list:  

To cut the wire you can use a pair of wire snips or a Dremel , circular saw or similar tool with a metal cut off wheel. I found the fiber reinforced metal cut off wheels work better on the Dremel tool.

    •  The wire snips leave a stub & it is sharp, so it should be ground down. Also, your hand may end up hurting if you have a lot to cut.  

    •  The Dremel gives you the cleanest cut, but the small metal cutoff wheels are expensive at approximately $1 each and they break fairly often.  

    •  The circular saw seems to be the fastest if you build a jig or guide for cutting the wire straight, but this leaves little burrs & must be sanded a little. The large cut off wheels for the circular saw are around $5 each and they shouldn't break.  

    •  Grinding and sanding can easily be done with a 4" right angle grinder and an 80 to 100 grit sanding disc. To see one of these, go to the Sears website & do a search on the part number: 00911501000
There may be other tools, but these are the ones I've had experience with. I built my aviary and a 4'x4'x6' tall cage using the wire snips & didn't enjoy it. I then used the Dremel on two other cages and that was fine, but this would get expensive if doing a whole aviary. I will be using a circular saw or a RotoZip Spiral Saw with a ZipMate attachment on the aviary I'm building next month.



How can I protect my birds from insects, rodents and predators in my outdoor enclosure?

The following information was modified from a post written by Leanne Burton to the NaturalBird list:

To help ensure that your birds are protected from insects, rodents and predators you should use three layers of materials on your outdoor enclosure. First, there's the interior wire that the birds have access to, then there is screen beyond that (hopefully out of reach of the parrots), then a layer of predator wire. The screen keeps out insects, but won't keep out mice, squirrels, raccoons, etc. To protect the screen from being destroyed by raccoons or chewed through by other small rodents and predators, you protect the screen with a layer of predator wire. This can be either hardware cloth (contains lead) or a galvanized welded wire of a smaller gauge. The ideal wire spacing on the predator wire is 1/4" x 1/4" as mice can easily go through even just 1/2" of space.  

Additional protection can be offered by installing a metal or concrete wall around the bottom of the enclosure.

To protect your birds from predators that dig, consider pouring a concrete footing two feet deep that can also serve as the foundation for the aviary.   If you need a less permanent solution because you may need to move the aviary at some point, you can place wire horizontally along the ground attached to the side of the enclosure and extending a few feet out around the entire perimeter.   Wiring the “floor” of the aviary will also help keep predators from digging into the aviary, however, it also prevents you from being able to plant foliage inside the aviary.



How much space should be left between the interior wire, screen and predator wire?

To guarantee that your birds cannot tear the screen with their nails, you can space the screen 4" away from the interior wire to keep the birds from having access to it. The predator wire can then be mounted right up against the outside of the screen.



What kind of wood is safe to use in my enclosure for toys, swings and perches?

The following website gives some information on safe and unsafe wood:
http://www.birdsafe.com/woods.htm  

Alternatives to using a bleach solution to clean your wood:
    •  use a solution of Grapefruit Seed Extract, dry in the oven or in the sun
    •  wash the wood with castile soap and sterilize it with a steam machine, dry in the oven or in the sun

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