Newbie, just built an enclosure

[Gilly]

Hi everyone! I`m Steve (Gilly) from Hull. I`ve just completed building my enclosure after a couple months. It`s 5x3x2.2m including a shed. About 2/3 is felt roofed and 1/3 open is caged. This is a great site with plenty of useful info and people with experience. I will hopefully be getting at least 2 Chippies next week, and cant wait.
It needs kitting out before I get them. They have a large area for digging and a paved part for people to stand in.
Here`s some pics:
   The footings go down a foot and I will fill it to the top of the blocks with soil. Do they dig more than that?   

[Nate]

Hi Gilly welcome to the board. Those photos were great, but they have gone from Photobucket. If you want you can upload them to this server, or PM me for my email address so i can put them up for ya.
I especially liked the way you built the aviary around that small conifer, in fact I'm envious of your whole set up, it must have taken ages to build, and it looks perfect. Some of my munks have dug down further than a foot, but that was in soft compost.

Did any of your neighbors raise any concerns about the aviary, as a lot of people don't know what chipmunks are, so they might have thought they would be noisy and smell, which they aren't.

[Gilly]

Thanks for the welcome Nate. I thought I was being a computer genius using photobucket. I`m guessing nobody can see the pics 
It did take a while to make . I took a week off work to crack on with it but spent most of that time doing the paver's,levelling and marking out.
Once the frame started going up it was more exciting. This was mainly on weekends so that`s why it dragged on a bit. I thought the mesh was a bargain, £44 for 30m. It`s hot dipped galvanised 1/2"x3/4" 19 gauge. Free delivery from Albany pet supplies on ebay. I was going to mesh both sides of the frame but it restricts the view alot. Hopefully it will be enough protection.
My neighbours have all been quite interested and seemed OK about the idea. Some of them are noisy and smell 
The main thing that worries me about them being outside all the time is our UK winters. It`s a bit silly because their natural habitat is maybe harsher. Are they pretty tuff against the elements or should I house them in the shed part? I`m using nesting boxes by the way.

 

[Nate]

Hi Gilly

Been away for a couple of nights, with no Internet access, on Exmoor.

From others who have kept chippies outside I know that they need time to acclimatize to being outside if they come from indoors. They grow thicker fur and start to build up food stores. But they are quite hardy, and outside chipmunks are less prone to illness as they're tougher all-round. Now would be a good time of year to get some, I see someone on this board has 40 chipmunks to re-home, too many even for your aviary though. Mine are all kept indoors, and even though they are supposed to withstand the cold mine often head for the radiators, they really like the warmth if they can get it.

I read of people with a shed joining on to the aviary, that they have lined the shed part with insulation slabs, then covered the insulation with cladding (lots more work). I've been up to Cleathorpes and experienced the 'lazy wind' up that part of the country, too cold for a southerner like me. So I would be kiting out the shed part with insulation. But I think they could still go in to their winter sleep even if they had a shed. Perhaps others visiting here would like to chip in with how their outside chipmunks behave during the winter.

[Gilly]

Thanks Nate , I`ve been down near your manor at my brothers in Plumbstead for a week. It`s good to know they are tough enough for all year round. I should sort out a bit more insulation before they arrive.
Just rang about the chippies and they are 3 weeks old now. The owner said she would like to give them another 2 weeks before taking them out for me. This gives me a bit longer to get it ready for action.
I did take my son to London zoo and got some inspiration from alot of the enclosures there. I wish I could have found the mesh they use for their cages. It was very fine with a dark coating, but easy to See through. Ah well.
I feel a bit of a spectator at the moment on here  But hopefully I will soon be an owner myself.....cant wait!!!

[Nate]

London Zoo is very near me, just a walk through the park at the top of the road. Wish they'd give the owls bigger enclosers, but the Otters seem to have it made. Some of the enclosures go back to Victorian times I think, but I know the ones you meant, they keep spending on improvements there.

Sounds like you're getting siblings, that helps with them getting on. Once I got my first aviary built I couldn't wait for my first tenant either. I wonder if their shed is warmer you might see more of them during the winter. Because mine are indoors they don't sleep through the winter months, so with you and others on this board with outside aviaries it's going to be a great education for me.

[SeaHawk]

MUST SAY YOU HAVE WORK HARD,BUT THE OUT COME AS ALL BEEN WOTH WHILE

[Gilly]

Thanks Seahawk, it was alot of work. It`s not completed yet as a structure. I want to build a purgola coming off the side of it with a paved seating area underneath. Then me and others can chill out watching the chippies playing. If I can get some grapes growing over it then it will be a bit of shelter from the sun and food for them also. Plus a bit of soft lighting should look good too for summer nights out. I did draw it all out on Google sketch up (brilliant) originally. Surprisingly it turned out similar to the plans Wish I could upload the design but I don't know how.....cheers Gilly.

[stephen1970]

wow, you really did get a bargain with the mesh, it cost me £56 for 12m. you have done a great job on building your aviary.

[Gilly]

Thanks Stephen, the mesh was very expensive at B&Q ,Focus ,Wickes and other places. Usually around £30 for 6m x 1m. 

[Nate]

Hi Gilly, I've now set up an email address for anyone to use who would find it easier just to send photos in as an attachment. Just remove the spaces from this email address 'photos @ super-chipmunks.co.uk', I think i have most of the software to convert all the different formats, so I could try to publish your plans in your post.

[Nate]

Gilly was kind enough to send the file in of his designs. I've attached the pictures of various aspects of his 3D model.

[Gilly]

Hee Hee! Nate well done !Thanks for sorting out the drawings for me. I`m still waiting to get some chippies. It`s been dragging on a bit, but I`ve been told that they have`nt opened their eyes yet from being born about 5 weeks ago. Anyway I have put some more stuff in for them like a tree trunk, nesting boxes a few plants . Thanks again Nate. 

[Gilly]

I`ve been adding stuff like a big branch,nesting boxes, shelf, a fern and other bits. Oh yeah and a solar powered light, I`m going Eco!









Another bargain. £5 from Homebase (on sale)


Let me know if you can see these OK.
As youcan see no chipmunks yet  I`m hoping they are coming soon.

[Nate]

Bet you can't wait for your chippies to arrive, it seems to be taking ages, must seem longer for you. I'm jealous of both yours and Stephens outside aviaries. They look great from what i can see, I think yours looks to be about twice the size, so plenty of room for more chippies later perhaps.

I don't remember the tree trunk next to the conifer looks natural, I bet they will love sitting on the top of that. The indoor bit looks very rustic, those nest boxes look like Swiss chalets.

I can see a bit of plastic tubing, if that's for them to run through it looks just the right size, and longer than the stuff I've been buying.

The person you're getting your chippies from must be so pleased to know the home they are going to, it's a chipmunk palace.