aviary floor material

[kippermom]

okay...I have now read several threads here and concluded that I will install a 3/4 in. construction grade plywood floor in the new aviary. So that it will be easier to clean, we will build the entire floor at a very slight grade, sloped toward a strip of floor grates at the back for water to escape to a gravel catch basin in the rear. Someone suggested I just paint a good grade deck paint on the floor...but has anyone tried laying a roll of linoleum over the plywood to make it easier to clean, more attractive and maybe more weather resistant?

[Pigeonpal2002]

Originally Posted by kippermom

okay...I have now read several threads here and concluded that I will install a 3/4 in. construction grade plywood floor in the new aviary. So that it will be easier to clean, we will build the entire floor at a very slight grade, sloped toward a strip of floor grates at the back for water to escape to a gravel catch basin in the rear. Someone suggested I just paint a good grade deck paint on the floor...but has anyone tried laying a roll of linoleum over the plywood to make it easier to clean, more attractive and maybe more weather resistant?

Hi Kippermom,

I don't have an outdoor loft, my birds are housed inside in a room. I use linoleum on the floor and I find it very easy to keep clean.

Are you wanting to put this on the floor of an aviary (outside flight area) or inside the loft (covered part)?

I would think that if you put it where the sun and other elements can get at it, it wouldn't work well there. It will fade and likely peel from the effects of the sun. Inside, it would probably work just fine. I've heard other people mention that it is slippery to the birds but I haven't found this to be an issue at all.

[Trees Gray]

Is this an indoor floor where they will live or outdoor?

From all the plywood floor lofts I have seen, including mine, it is my experience to leave it bare. Plywood floors dry quickly, even after a hurricane, scrape clean easily, and work well with the powdered dressings.

If you are not there to dry and clean the linolium floor as often as it gets wet, it would be very unhealthy for the birds to live in, if this is an interior floor. Pigeons should not be kept around any kind of standing water, within an inclosure. Also, good ventilation must be a priority, if you think about using the linoleum.

I'm sure others will be along with their thoughts on this.

[kippermom]

plywood it is...can I use deck paint as a sealer and to make it a bit smoother? Someone said oil base would be fine and not a problem for the birds once completely dried...this is an 8 x 16 outdoor aviary, 8 feet tall, fully roofed, but open/harware cloth on all sides except for a 4 foot deep walled section at one end for the nest boxes (pets/non-flyers/rescues) It will get some rain and sun parts of the day.

Thx.

[kramer9802]

It is very unhealthy to live with pigeons. The feather dust can be bad for your lungs. I wear a mask when I go into my loft.