By Matthew Bennett

The health of your fine feathered friend will depend on a lot of things: diet, care and environment are among the top factors that affect the quality of life of pet birds. Learning how to clean an aviary is important for any owner of birds. If left dirty and unwashed, you allow a buildup of the harmful bacteria and fungi that may cause the death of your pet birds, or worse, may allow the transmission of diseases like meningitis and pneumonia. An aviary removes the two natural things that keep the bird environment clean in the wild: sunlight and rain. A lot of care is needed to keep an aviary free from infection, so here is are some easy to follow guidelines for you to keep your aviary clean.

  1. Keep a covering for your aviary floor. Bird droppings are the most obvious mess you will have to deal with in your aviary. Make sure you protect the floor with a covering you can discard – popular choices include old newspapers and magazines, or even cardboard boxes cut out for the purpose. Change this once a day to prevent droppings from rotting and causing a foul smell. There is also cage litter that is commercially available, and will serve the same purpose. You can rake this just once a day, but it will have to be changed at least once a week, depending on the amount of bird droppings. Perches will also tend to accumulate droppings so make sure to brush these at least daily.
  2. Clean the food and water containers daily. Droppings may fall on these dishes, making them unsanitary for your pet birds. Old, rotting bits and pieces food may also serve as potential reservoirs for bacteria and fungi. As much as possible, you should use hot water and dishwashing detergent to get rid of all the dirt and grime that has been there. Always provide fresh and clean water and food after your daily disinfection.
  3. Wash the walls and perches at least once a week. Make sure you do a thorough cleaning of all possible surfaces of your aviary at least once a week. You can relocate the birds to another place while you are disinfecting their homes. Avoid using household bleach: while effective in destroying bacteria and fungi, the fumes may potentially cause harm to your pet birds.
  4. Use a natural mix of vinegar and water to disinfect your aviary. The solution should be in a ratio of 2 tablespoons of vinegar per quart of water. This is a great way to disinfect the aviary without harming your birds. Load the solution into a spray bottle, and use it on plastic surfaces when cleaning. Use a soft dishrag to brush away the dirt that does not come off easily.

An aviary involves a lot of work and maintenance, so you will have to make sure you are patient when keeping one. Birds by themselves are easy to keep and handle, but a little more effort is required to maintain an environment where they are free and healthy. There is no pleasure to be found in watching sickly birds so make sure you take our advice and follow a regular cleaning schedule for your birds’ aviary.