on the Aviary and its Management.



227



Eucalyptus trees about five or six feet high (the latter could with advantage

be kept in the house portion during the winter months).


And, now Sir, I come to the most important subject matter of my

discourse. Many persons could devise and build a bird house such as I

have described, but, few indeed, I am afraid, would give much thought to

the ventilation. Unless, gentlemen, you can devise some means whereby

you can arrange for a continuous inlet supply of fresh air and an outlet for

the foul air from y'our bird room the lives of your little pets would indeed

be short and far from healthy.


Efficient ventilation can be accomplished by admitting fresh air

through an improved cast-iron Venetian inlet ventilator fixed about three

feet from the floor in the outer wall of the aviary, which brings in an ample

supply of fresh air; and the foul air can be extracted through a special

noiseless mica-flap ventilator (Boyle’s patent) connected at the highest

convenient point of the inner wall to the chimney flue of your kitchen and

so arranged to have a steady up-current; both of these ventilators should

be fitted with valves so that the supply' of fresh air and the outlet of foul

air can be regulated to any requirements.


As regards heating your bird house, this, in my opinion, can be best

done by hot water pipes; oil or gas lamp arrangements are highly objection¬

able, as they absorb the oxygen from the air in the bird room and thus

complicate your plans for efficient ventilation. Your bird room can be

heated both economically' and efficiently by' a small low pressure hot water

apparatus. Along the inner wall of brick you can run two rows of 2 inch

wrought iron piping and connect these with a X inch flow and return pipe

to a U-shaped pipe at the back of the kitchen fire; a sharp circulation of

the water in the pipes is thus maintained without any extra cost for fuel

and the aviary is kept well heated without any additional labour or expense

after once being fixed. The U-shaped pipe at the back of the fire ought

to be coupled up with malleable iron unions, so that during the summer

months when no heat is required in the aviary this pipe can be detached

and put away'.


Both the heating and ventilating apparatus in my aviary were fixed

by' Mr. Alfred Grindrod (of Stanley Sheen & Co., Surrey Street, Sheffield),

to whom I am indebted for the loan of the specimen ventilators which I

have shewn you this evening.


Such disinfectants as Izal, Sylvan Pine or Jeyes’ Sanitary' Fluid

could be used for washing shelves, perches, etc. When new birds are

bought they should not be admitted into the aviary direct; but should

be kept in quarantine for at least one week, and if at the expiration of that

time they are proved to be healthy they can then be admitted to the aviary'.

Unless y'ou exercise this care your healthy birds could easily contract such

diseases as typhoid, consumption and diphtheria. You should also guard

against overcrowding in your aviaries, for overcrowding is not only a



