Aviary netting is great for bird control, housing any game birds such as pheasants and for the protection of poultry against predators such as hawks. Aviary wire mesh does the same thing except it is more aimed at birds with stronger beaks such as parrots. When building or repairing a new flight pen/aviary, a high quality aviary net or aviary wire mesh is essential.
Should you use aviary netting or aviary wire mesh?
Aviary Netting
An aviary net is used for bird control purposes and also in the creation of coops and bird housing. You’ll want to use aviary netting if you have larger birds with small beaks. Examples include:
- Pheasants
- Chickens
- Turkeys etc.
It is normally made from materials such as nylon or polypropylene.
Aviary Mesh
Aviary wire is used for the building of flight pens, bird cages, aviaries, pigeon lofts etc. You’ll want to use aviary mesh if you have pet birds (especially those with strong beaks). Examples include:
- Parrots
- Budgies
- Finches etc.
It is normally made from aluminum, stainless steel wire and galvanized steel wire (after welding).
Aviary Netting and Aviary Mesh Reviews
(On mobile? Drag the table sideways to see more info)
What To Look For?
First, decide which material is appropriate depending upon the type of birds that you own. As stated before: aviary netting is used for game birds such as pheasants, chickens and turkeys whereas an aviary wire mesh is used for pet birds such as parrot cages, finch cages and parakeet cages.
Once you have decided if a net or mesh is needed then consider the following factors:
Net/mesh spacing
How small do you need the gaps between the nets or wire mesh to be?
Game birds can be held within aviary netting that has 2″ gaps but are stronger and more effective (but more expensive) with 1″ gaps.
Pet birds such as parrots can be held within aviary meshes that have 1″ gaps. For smaller sized birds such as finches you may need 1/2″ gaps. If you are thinking of breeding birds and raising chicks then consider the wire mesh that is 1/4″ in size.
The table below shows mesh and netting space sizes that are required for different bird species. Wire spacing size listed is the maximum recommended amount and wire diameter size listed is minimum recommended size (for the wire mesh).
Small Birds | Medium Birds | Large Birds | Extra Large Birds |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wire spacing | 1/2″ | 5/8″ to 3/4″ | 3/4″ to 1″ | 1″ to 1-1/4″ |
| Wire diameter | 2mm | 2.5mm | 3.5mm | 5mm |
Strength
When it comes to the strength of your net or wire it needs to be strong enough to 1) prevent your birds from escaping and 2) prevent intruders from entering (more information is available in our guide to cat proofing your bird cage).
What’s more, some types of pet birds such as parrots are known to be chewers – these birds will chew away at your aviary mesh if you are not careful. To prevent this make sure you choose a strong, high-end aviary mesh. Cheaper low-end materials will result in a lost bird.
Durability
Bird aviary netting should be UV resistant so that it does not lose it’s form and strength when left out in the sun. Netting is normally made from Polyethylene, Polypropylene or Nylon all of which are fairly resilient and rot resistant. According to USNetting.com, Nylon is well suited for this purpose as it provides both superior strength and UV protection.
Aviary mesh on the other hand should be made of stainless steel, galvanized steel after welding (not before welding) or similar materials so that it does not rust. If the wire is not made from rust resistant material then it will only last a few months before it falls apart.
Dimensions
When planning out your aviary or making repairs, ensure that the aviary netting or wire is large enough to cover your aviary panel. Measuring beforehand and planning ahead is essential. However, sometimes you may need to fix together two pieces of mesh to fill an extra large space in which case you may need to use some additional tools and materials.
According to the World Pheasant Association, if you’re using netting for game birds then you’ll need at a minimum 100 foot square or 10 meters squared of netting.
Type of Material Used
According to CustomCages.com, aviary mesh can be made from a number of different bird safe materials including: steel, stainless steel and aluminium. The main thing to watch out for with steel is if it is galvanized. If it is galvanized steel after welding then it IS bird safe but if it is galvanized steel before welding then it is NOT.
If you want to provide your bird cage or aviary with a clearer view then you might want to consider using an acrylic or glass panel material instead. See out guide to acrylic bird cages for more information. The main drawback with glass or aluminium panels is that it is harder for the bird to climb up the sides of the cage or aviary because the panels are flat. However, you can easily overcome this issue by providing perches, bird ladders and swings inside of the aviary.
Best Aviary Netting For Sale
We recommend the Best Choice Products Aviary Netting because:
- Confinement – Keeps large game birds such as pheasants, chickens and turkey’s inside your bird pen whilst able to be withstand large intruders such as hawks, deer, dogs and coyotes.
- Strong and long lasting – Made from Nylon that has PE-Plus Premium Grade strength and is UV resistant so can be left outside for years.
- Able to withstand extremes of temperature – both hot deserts and snowy winters.
^ Return to comparisons at the top
Best Aviary Mesh For Sale
We chose Yardgard as the best aviary mesh because:
- Rust Proof – Galvanized steel wire (after welding) that provides this wire to have an extra long life, even in wet conditions.
- Heavy duty – a high quality aviary wire that is strong enough to even protect against chewing birds.
- Smooth edges – trimmed and adjusted edges to make installing this mesh onto panels that much easier.
^ Return to comparisons at the top
Additional Tools and Materials Needed
To make the installation of your aviary netting and aviary mesh easier, you may also want to consider using some of the following:
- Screen Door Mesh Netting Curtain – Ideal for walk-in aviaries. With it’s magnetic auto closing locks it’ll prevent birds from flying out of any out door aviary.
- Cable Zip Ties – For fixing together the aviary netting.
- Wire Cutter – Used to adjust the sizes of the aviary mesh.
- Wire Clips – When you need to join together 2 pieces of wire or more.
- Plier Set – For finishing off any other jobs.
- Gorilla Tape – A high end, all purpose duct tape that can be used as a fix for netting repairs.
How to Install Aviary Netting
If you need advice on how to install aviary netting then check out the video below that shows the construction of a flight pen for pheasants.
One Final Question
Loading ...Next Steps
Once you’ve decided upon the aviary netting and aviary mesh that you need, you may then also want to check out the How to Build An Aviary guide that is available here where you can build at aviary at 80% of the cost of buying one.
What kind of mesh or getting do I use for a macaw ariary.
Hi Lori,
Check out this section of our aviary building guide:
https://www.herebird.com/how-to-build-an-aviary/#size
and this part for wire sizing:
https://www.herebird.com/how-to-build-an-aviary/#wirespacing
Best,
Jack
I read that galvanized wire is toxic to parrots because of the zinc content. Some people have said to sponge it down with vinegar, other articles say thats a myth, and some people say theyve had no problems while some report almost losing their birds to heavy metal toxicity. Can you clarify?
Hi Iaine,
For extra details about using galvanized wire, check out this section of our aviary building guide:
https://www.herebird.com/how-to-build-an-aviary/#possibly-unsafe
Hope it helps,
Jack