Abstract
Being a parrot breeder-hobbyist in
the midlands, I am presented with a
cold hard fact of life - winter in Iowa
can be frigid! Iowa's weather has also
solved my problem of where to house
my African parrots. The majority of
homes in the Midwest have a cellar to
seek shelter in the event of a tornado.
Many breeders have opted to turn
their basement into an aviary.
As my collection of parrots grew, I
realized I was going to have to enlarge
my parrot room. Figuring the cost of
an additional building (including heating,
cooling, and a water supply) the
thought of converting a recent addition
to my basement became very
appealing. My father and I came up
with a working plan of action. The
room to be converted measured 24 x
14 feet. Our first step was to cover the
floor braces and electrical wiring. Chip
board was used instead of plywood as
a cost savings measure. Trap doors
made electrical junction boxes accessible
in case of rewiring needs or an
emergency; also most building codes
require an easy access to the junction
boxes. The room was painted white to
reflect light.
The next task was to design new
cages to fit my needs as well as my
feathered friends. I started from the
bottom working up, utilizing as much
space as possible, while minimizing
clean up chores. Cage floor dimensions
for the smaller Poicephalus are
the same as two double unfolded
newspapers overlapped, 21" high x
21" wide x 36" long. Multiple layers of
newspapers under each cage makes
cleanup as easy as pulling off the top
layer. A minimum amount of time is
spent bothering nesting pairs. Three
cages are stacked in a shelf designed
to suspend each enclosure above the
waste and debris.
The larger cages were designed
around the width of a large roll of craft
paper. The cages measure 3' wide x 3'
high x 7' long, with the far end
enlarged 4' to accommodate a nest
box to provide privacy for nesting
hens - in other words, a large Lshape.
Metal conduit was adapted and
fastened to each cage to support the
large rolls of craft paper. The paper is
then pulled along the bottom length of
the cage and cut. It actually looks like
a large paper towel dispenser. The
large cages are hung two high by wire
suspended from the floor joists above.
Each cage is separated by sheet metal
to prevent waste dropping to the
lower cage. Food and water are easily
accessible due to a flip-up design I
copied thanks to the Watchbird's visit
to Joe and Marge Longo in Washington.
A large door is provided in case
any bird needs to be caught for exams
or other purposes.
Heating the basement has been a
major advantage to underground
breeding. All heat ducts have been
closed off to the bird room. Temperatures
outside have dipped well below
zero with the aviary maintaining an
average 60°F due to the heated rooms
above. A major ice storm a few years
back caused power outages for three
days. The house temperature dropped
to 20°F because outside it was 5°
below zero! I stayed downstairs with
the birds as the basement temperature
leveled off at 50°F and maintained this
temperature during the power failure.
Low humidity in the winter months
does not appear to affect egg hatchability,
therefore, I have chosen not to
use a humidifier. High humidity, on
the other hand, did present some
problems. The summer months
underground can be very muggy.
I do use a dehumidifier during this
time. The humidity was causing
dampness and mold buildup on the
cage floors.
One advantage of basement breeding
is the control of the lighting schedule
to fit the keeper's need. I am working
the graveyard shift so this means
altering the lighting for the birds to
give them the best care. When a
change in the birds' light schedule is
adjusted, I attempt to increase (or
decrease) in a fifteen minute change
per day. Night lights are very important
during the birds' sleeping hours
for obvious reasons. Lighting is controlled
by an inexpensive computer
hook up. The lights are an arrangement
of rows of fluorescent lights.
Night lights are low wattage incandescent
light bulbs.
Disadvantages to basement bird
keeping include poor air quality and
the dust accumulation from the African
parrots. Since my operation is a
small business, I do not have the luxury
of an elaborate air exchange system.
I presently use an exhaust fan circulating
continuously. I also use an
ordinary room fan with a furnace filter
over the intake. This traps a surprising
amount of bird dust and small
feathers. I have yet to find an air purifier
that can handle bird dust. As of
this writing, I have gone through three
systems, the last one costing $300.00
- the motor burnt up a couple of
weeks ago. I am also concerned about
the outbreak of an airborne disease in
the basement bird room. A highly
contagious incident would be very
detrimental to the flock. An AA V veterinarian
is a must to maintain contact
concerning the prevention of such an
outbreak and to keep your flock in the
best condition.
Lack of sunshine seems to effect the
African parrot's eye color. This has
been an on-going discussion in The
African Parrot Society and a firm
answer has yet to be resolved. Poicephalus
bred in outdoor aviaries
appear to develop the colored eye
ring in a shorter amount of time.
We have a lot to learn about the
wants and needs of our feathered
responsibilities. It is our duty to provide
the best environment that we aviculturists
can in the different climates
and surroundings in which we force
our birds to live.