How soon can I safely return birds after varnishing?

[Gill-b]

This may be a silly question but I would like to be absolutely sure (I have made mistakes before with things that I thought were obvious)...
How soon can I return birds after varnishing the bird loft/coop? And is it safe to varnish the perches?

 

[DobieLover]

Varnish on the perches is not a good idea. It will make them slippery and the birds need purchase to feel secure.
Are you varnishing the outside or inside? I would also not varnish the inside of a coop. Just use exterior grade, water based primer and paint. They could go back in the coop the next day after everything is very dry and fully cured.

 

[Gill-b]

Varnish on the perches is not a good idea. It will make them slippery and the birds need purchase to feel secure.
Are you varnishing the outside or inside? I would also not varnish the inside of a coop. Just use exterior grade, water based primer and paint. They could go back in the coop the next day after everything is very dry and fully cured.

Thank you for your advice - really helpful.

 

[Gill-b]

My bird loft is made from a large pallet box and a wooden crate (both previously used for transporting heavy machinery parts), plus other recycled wood and materials, including nails recycled from dismantling crates. The roof is a single piece of corrugated sheet metal which was left over from another project, and which we bent in the middle to form the roof pitch. The roll down side flaps are from an old canvas tarp which we cut and stitch to size for the bird loft. The varnish is what we had left over from varnishing an outdoor wooden work table.

We built the bird loft firstly for a "flightless" Turtle dove to safely spend time outdoors; and secondly to have an outdoor space for any other rescue birds that come through my care before rewilding them.

[I rescued the Turtle dove over two years ago when I found it on the ground with an abscess the size of a golf ball and a broken wing. The broken wing never healed properly and so this Turtle dove presently lives indoors in a cage barely big enough for her; with supervised time spent walking around the garden when the weather is nice and the wind is not blowing.]

The bird loft has been, and is for the time being, a work in progress, with things added on as we find materials for it. Busy making doors for storage space on top; and going to use the space below for plant seedlings with greenhouse netting around it.

Is there a reason why one should not varnish on the inside of a bird loft or coop? I am just interested to know as I had already finished vanishing the loft before posting this thread.
I have left the perches unvarnished - thank you again for your advice.

 

[CCsGarden]

I don't see a reason as too not varnish the bird loft. I would recommend you do, so that it is water proof.
For the things the walk on, such as the perches, floor, ect, I would just sand them down too clean them. I don't coat mine with anything.

Hope this helps.
Btw, your bird loft is beautiful

 

[Gill-b]

Thank you, I appreciate your advice.

 

[Gill-b]

Releasing a juvenile Guinea Pigeon (also known as Speckled Pigeon) which was in my care, after its parents abandoned it a little too soon.

 

[CCsGarden]

View attachment 3995560
Releasing a juvenile Guinea Pigeon (also known as Speckled Pigeon) which was in my care, after its parents abandoned it a little too soon.

Thats awesome! I do the same!
At least we care about these birds!

 

[tlcmurphy]

I was taken aback by the title, my first thought was “Good Lord, @Gill-b is varnishing birds!!”

Glad I’m mistaken

 

[Gill-b]

I was taken aback by the title, my first thought was “Good Lord, @Gill-b is varnishing birds!!”

Glad I’m mistaken

This has me laughing out loud!!!