Home » Bird Forums » Birds Of A Feather » Cockatiels » Can I use a green house??
Posted by tonygrz on Sun, 04/27/2008 - 09:50 :: Cockatiels
Hi,

Just purchased my first pair of cockatiels from a breeder. Very pleased with the tiels. Two questions.

First, I have some former rabbit cages I built that are 2ftX3ftX2ft high. I made them from 1/2 inch wire. Can I use them for the time being for a pair of tiels?

Secondly, if I build an outside green house about 8X12X8 with a heater for winter time (Texas) and windows for summer time how many pairs can put in this setup?

Thanks for all your replies in advance. Happy to be here.

Tony Garza
Texas
tonygrz
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Posted by karen on Mon, 04/28/2008 - 20:58.
That size cage is ok for a pair of cockatiels. If they aren't tame birds that are allowed out, then it is a bit too small but ok for a temporary cage. Zinc is an issue with galvanized metal cages, but if it was safe for the rabbits, then it should be ok for your birds - but I would wipe the cage down with vinegar and scrub it first to remove any loose bits of zinc.
A greenhouse is a good idea for giving them space. Greenhouses can get really hot in summer though - you would probably need an exhaust fan and ventilation panels which would need to be enclosed in mesh for safety.
I don't know how many pairs would be good in there, really. It also depends on if you plan to keep babies. You could probably fit up to 20-30 birds with some planning... plenty of perches, feeding areas and nestboxes to avoid fighting with open area for them to fly around as well.


Karen
Chico (conure) and Pippin (budgie)
WI
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Posted by tonygrz on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 06:56.
Karen,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the smaller cages have been disinfected and checked carefully. Maybe I don't want that large of a green house. 10 to 15 pairs seems like a lot of work. I was thinking more of about 5 pairs. I need to think smaller green house - maybe 8X8. A friend has an 8X8 green house that he built. He installed fiberglass panels on both the sides and roof and has two windows per side for ventilation. He also has an exhaust fan that is thermostatically controlled. He also uses small electric space heaters for the winter time. I can foresee putting 1/2 inch hail wire across the regular screens of the windows to prevent escapes and installed a double door area to enter the green house. The only thing I would do differently would be to install a solid roof instead of fiberglass panels.

Thanks again for the reply.

Tony Garza
tonygrz
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Posted by karen on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 10:10.
Personally, I would go for the larger greenhouse even with fewer pairs - extra space will never hurt. The 12' length is better to allow flight, and the larger the greenhouse the easier it will be to maintain a steady temperature.

Karen
Chico (conure) and Pippin (budgie)
WI
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