How to Build Your Own Aviary, Cages, Nestboxes, Etc. and $ave a Bundle: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

During the past 29 years, author James McDonald has had the opportunity to visit some of the most successful bird farms from Florida to California and exchange ideas. As a bird wholesaler and owner of one of the largest bird breeding farms in the state of Texas, he had many opportunities to learn from other peoples€ mistakes as well as his own, and the designs included in How to Build Your Own Aviary, Cages, Nestboxes, Etc. and $ave A Bundle have proven track records. While the hobbyist raising a few birds may get by with doing things exactly like it was done 50 years ago, the bird breeders who wish to derive a profit from their bird breeding operations need the most up to date information that is available. Cage breeding has replaced colony breeding for many types of exotic birds. Bird watering equipment has dramatically improved. Convenience as well as the comfort of both the birds and yourself should be a factor in designing and equipping both commercial and hobbyist aviaries. By building your aviary correctly the first time, you will not only save money, but time as well.

This book was written as a practical guide for both the hobbyist and commercial breeders who want to save startup cost by building their own aviary and equipment. A great deal of money can be saved by doing it yourself. For example, the parakeet breeding cage described later in this book that holds two breeding pairs of birds, complete with tray, cost $10.20 to build. Manufactured cages of similar size and quality run from $50 to $70 each, plus freight. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that you can build 5 to 7 cages for the same price that you would pay for a single store bought cage. A little more math will reveal that if you build your own cages, you can probably save enough money to purchase top of the line breed stock to put in those cages and still have money left over, resulting in what would seem like getting your birds for free.

While there are some skills needed to build practically anything, you certainly don't need to be a construction engineer in order to build the things included in this book. Almost anyone with basic carpentry skills can build a suitable building that can be used for an aviary, and practically everyone can build the cages, nest boxes, etc. that are covered in this book. It's not even necessary to have a well-equipped home workshop. The things included in this book were built with hand tools and simple power tools such as a power saw, jigsaw, and drill.

The book is written in an easy to understand, reader-friendly style and includes over 200 step-by-step actual photos, 3-D drawings and illustrations that will guide you through every step of the process. The large 8 1/2" x 11" sized format makes reading and following instructions easy on the readers eyes.