If you're new to the world of Canaries or your considering starting up, then the following will hopefully help you.

Before I spent a penny on a new hobby I first needed to do three things:

1. Make sure my family were OK with me taking this up as a hobby, because keeping Canaries does impact on your time & ultimately your family.

2. I also researched which type of Canary I wanted, this is important because getting it wrong can be expensive, not only cost of birds, but for show & breeding cages etc.

3. I then listed everything I thought I would need to start-up & started to plan, cost & prioritise the items on my list, leaving the purchase of the Canaries until the very last minute (planned for September after the molt, but I was able to secure some initial stock in May during the breeding season).

I decided to build an aviary from scratch mainly to reduce the costs, but ensure the highest quality within my budget.  When building an aviary you need to consider the following:

• Where will it go?

• Which directions can the main window face & which is best for my birds?

• I also wrote to the local authority to ensure I didn't need planning permission.

• I had to ensure I could build with an air gap under the aviary to allow the neighbours cat to check for mice & other rodents.

• I also had to work out how to get electricity to the aviary.  I ruled out a water supply, but some people do build this into their aviaries.

• You also have to consider what building materials to use.  I used 12mm Ply wood on the outside & 6mm Ply wood on the inside.  This not only helps with the insulation (gap of 1½ inches), but ensures you don't have any drafts, which can be lethal to Canaries.  Having a window that opens is a good idea, but make sure you have wire mesh on the outside, just in-case a bird escapes the breeding cage.

• Finally you have to consider what size your aviary is going to be & have a good idea how you intend to lay out the inside with breeding cages & shelves etc.

I also looked at the other structures I had in the garden that would offer me some additional storage space for show cages & stocks of seed & other seasonal items such as nest bowls etc.  I ended up building some additional shelves in an existing garden shed to accommodate these items.  If possible store your seeds away from the aviary to minimise the dust & bloom from your Canaries feathers coating the seeds.

Once built & painted inside & out I positioned the breeding cage blocks.  I had a 24 cage block (4 down x 6 across) against the back wall & a further 12 cage block (4 down x 3 across) on the left hand side away from the door.  This allowed me to have some shelving in the corner between the two blocks & a longer shelf under the window.

When you get to this point you've already spent the larger part of your budget, but there is still plenty to get.  To see my list Click here:

I've supplied a activity year plan & a list of seeds & diets for the year.  Everyone feeds their birds differently, but these can be used as a guide.

If you've never managed an aviary during breeding season, then Click here for an overview on what to do when.  Also check out the FAQ page.

If you intend exhibiting your birds, Click here for some useful tips.

This page was last updated on 18-Nov-2005 .