Hello, I'm new and have had lots of birds in the past, parrotlets, amazons, cockatoo, cockatiels, budgies and even a screech owl for one season. I am building a new home in the country and my sweet husband is allowing me and my mom, who will be living with me after it is built, to include a special room for plants and to serve if possible as a free flight aviary. I am very interested in having a breeding pair of parrotlets and hopefully a few other small birds. The room is about 19 feet long and 11 feet wide with triple windows/plate glass at one end and 2 sky lights. It will have a rock waterfall, plants, tile floor and side walls and a drain and faucet for watering plants and cleaning easily. I can place a few cages in there to safeguard if any don't get along and a table and chairs for sitting and enjoying the birds.
**What I want to know is what considerations do I need to make for a mixed aviary including parrotlets. What other birds are most compatible. I am thinking of painted finches and a canary but not sure if the parrotlets will be aggressive toward them. Does anyone else raise mixed birds together. I will want to breed the parrotlets and probably the finches too, but not on a large scale. Since I haven't purchased the birds yet, is there a way I can be reasonably sure I don't get aggressive birds. I'm in Texas so I also need a source for purchasing them.
**Also, what plants will hold up to bird's picking at them on occasion and what plants should I avoid without question. I have crepe myrtles which are knotted and beautiful and wanted to make perches from them, but I don't know if they are safe for birds. Thanks for any help you can offer.
**What I want to know is what considerations do I need to make for a mixed aviary including parrotlets. What other birds are most compatible. I am thinking of painted finches and a canary but not sure if the parrotlets will be aggressive toward them. Does anyone else raise mixed birds together. I will want to breed the parrotlets and probably the finches too, but not on a large scale. Since I haven't purchased the birds yet, is there a way I can be reasonably sure I don't get aggressive birds. I'm in Texas so I also need a source for purchasing them.
**Also, what plants will hold up to bird's picking at them on occasion and what plants should I avoid without question. I have crepe myrtles which are knotted and beautiful and wanted to make perches from them, but I don't know if they are safe for birds. Thanks for any help you can offer.