For many pet owners and bird breeder hobbyists living in the colder regions of the United States, the luxury or ability to provide our birds with large, outdoor flight cages is not feasible. We are forced to share our living space with the birds we love, and sometimes our inability to restrain ourselves leads to a large collection of birds that take over almost every square foot of our home.

Sometimes people obtain so many birds that they cannot even provide the most basic of avian hygiene, such as changing the newspapers that line the cage trays every day and providing clean food and water dishes. With birds scattered everywhere, an effective area may not even remain to quarantine new birds. Back bedrooms are wall to wall with stacked cages, and the next logical place to move and expand the bird collection is the basement.

As a child I never enjoyed going into the basement of our old farmhouse. The only shower in our home was rigged in a corner of the basement, however, and descending the stairway into the cold, damp, dim and musty environment was an everyday ritual.

In their natural environment birds have limitless skies in which to fly. Sunshine, fresh air, heat, humidity, and rain showers help maintain their feathers in perfect condition. Tree canopies, foliage, and large open savannahs provide places in which to forage for food and exercise. An obvious contrast when one envisions the basement enclosure of many of our homes. Yet, there are birds living in basements much like those of the old farm house I grew up in.

Planning Ahead

Before your bird collection grows and gets out of hand, one must really consider current living conditions. How much space is available? In addition to an area to house your breeding birds, a remote area should be set aside for quarantine, and another area to serve as a hospital room for sick birds. If you plan to raise birds, accommodations for a nursery should also be made. Does it seem that the number of birds in your household has gotten out of control? It is at this time that one must resist common impulses. One might be tempted to move all cages to the basement with little thought or planning. Another common mistake is to continue the practice of buying birds when deals are too good to pass up. Instead of buying more birds, use that money to set up your current birds in proper accommodations.

Without modifications, basements are often less than an ideal environment for birds. Damp basements provide a medium to grow molds, mildew, fungi and other forms of bacteria. Basements with partial dirt floors, crawl spaces and root cellars, often have a higher bacteria count. If basement windows do not open to allow fresh air to circulate, a basement aviary can become an invitation for respiratory and other diseases in birds.

When a decision is made to house birds in the basement, one must keep in mind that cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces is important. Stone or cement walls should be sealed and covered with washable material or panels. Dirt floors should be cemented, cement floors painted, and open beam ceilings covered.

NetPets® Main Page

contact information Main Library Information Library

The Bird Center