[randymcone]

Well, it's taken about 3 times as long to get this far as I hoped it would.
Georgia ends up having 2 snow storms and more rain this winter than in the past 10 years.

Aside from a 2nd coat of paint and the hardware cloth, I'm done.
6'6' x 8'6" prisoner loft (for now) 7'6" inside height.

It cost............$15, and that was for the paint.
I promised my wife it would be cost neutral so I built it from constuction scrap and left overs.

I do have 2 more sets of nest boxes to hang but that's just 6 screws each.
The nest boxes are 28" wide, 12" deep and 14" high

 

[randymcone]

More pics

I built a gravity feeder into the wall

 

[randymcone]

Even more pics

I built 2 gravity tube waterers that will be hung in the aviary.
The aviary is open with 2 levels.
It's 5' tall, 4' wide and 3' deep.
no roof over most of it and it faces south.

Electrical is run to the building. I have all the hardware and only need to connect the switch, light fixture and heating element.

 

[spirit wings]

looks good, like the nest boxes.

 

[Charis]

Great job although, I'm not exactly sure how your contraption in the last 2 pictures is going to work.

 

[wolfwood]

WOW! Nice job!! Your birds are STYLIN" !!!!! I really like the fountain ... mind if we borrow the idea for our aviary (to be built once the snow melts) ??

 

[Lovebirds]

Great job although, I'm not exactly sure how your contraption in the last 2 pictures is going to work.

I was wondering the same thing? How DOES it work? I can't really see that bunji cord holding that container when it's full of water. That will be pretty heavy.
The loft looks really good though. You did a terrific job.

 

[Pegasus]

You are good to go...Let the stocks start breeding in it...It's neat and a clever idea you did there on the home made water fount...Very roomy...Great work...

 

[randymcone]

Great job although, I'm not exactly sure how your contraption in the last 2 pictures is going to work.

It's a gravity tube.
The water will fill up to the line of the bottom of the jug (about a quarter inch below the lip)
as the birds drink the tube will refill.
Same thing you can buy for pets at petsmart.
You know, those bowls that you screw an upside down cola bottle to.
They make the same thing for small poultry pens but I made mine out of spare plumbing parts and an apple juice jug.

I had several just like it when I raised pigeons as a kid.

 

[Charis]

You are good to go...Let the stocks start breeding in it...It's neat and a clever idea you did there on the home made water fount...Very roomy...Great work...

How are they supposed to get the water?

 

[Lovebirds]

It's a gravity tube.
The water will fill up to the line of the bottom of the jug (about a quarter inch below the lip)
as the birds drink the tube will refill.
Same thing you can buy for pets at petsmart.
You know, those bowls that you screw an upside down cola bottle to.
They make the same thing for small poultry pens but I made mine out of spare plumbing parts and an apple juice jug.

I had several just like it when I raised pigeons as a kid.

They drink out of the white tube?

 

[randymcone]

WOW! Nice job!! Your birds are STYLIN" !!!!! I really like the fountain ... mind if we borrow the idea for our aviary (to be built once the snow melts) ??

Be my guest.
It's made from left over sink drain parts, applejuice jug and "Gorilla glue".
The glue does not come in contact with the water. Gorilla glue expands as it dries. you just seal the top thread of the collar and screw it down tight.

 

[randymcone]

I was wondering the same thing? How DOES it work? I can't really see that bunji cord holding that container when it's full of water. That will be pretty heavy.
The loft looks really good though. You did a terrific job.

No, that was just for the picture. The waterers weight is held by notches cut into the running board perches in the aviary. The bunjie cord just keeps them from being pulled over.

 

[randymcone]

How are they supposed to get the water?

From the open end of the tube.
The water just sits there right below the lip of the opening.

 

[spirit wings]

there has to more to it..?? they might get their little heads stuck in there. oh never mind, just saw your explaination....

 

[Charis]

Is there a perch for them to stand on?
My worry would be, the bird drinking into the water...rather than the water running out of the container...so they are constantly contaminating the water should they be ill.

 

[Ed]

you have done a very nice job!!
When I move to GA can I hire you to build my lofts

 

[randymcone]

Pictures of how the waterer works

Here are a few pics of how the water works.
I'm not very good at explaining it.

See how the water level stays just below the edge of the lip?
You can see that the jug is full of water but it will only rise to the lip until the birds drink from it and then the water will refill.

 

[Ed]

I think his works in the same concept as this one does it just looks a bit different
water goes in the top and gets refilled as the pigeons drink it up

 

[randymcone]

Is there a perch for them to stand on?
My worry would be, the bird drinking into the water...rather than the water running out of the container...so they are constantly contaminating the water should they be ill.

Yes, the waterer is built into the upper level perches in the aviary. In both corners, as the birds move to the corner there will be a waterer there. only about an inch from the edge of the perch.

I have 6' "running boards" all around the upper level of the aviary

I hadn't thought of contamination. the jug feeds the tube. Wouldn't any other water container hold any germs a bird may leave behind when it dips it's beak?
Even a "ball tube" bottle like the ones you get from petsmart would spread any germs from the last bird to use it. I'm not sure how to correct that. Hmmmmmm