SECTION FOUR: THE CONSTRUCTION
If your planning phase is completed and your site prepared then you are ready to measure out and mark your construction area. After marking it you can then set your corner posts. It is a good idea to dig the hole deep enough so that you can put a bottom layer of concrete for the post to stand on and then fill up the hole around the posts with concrete up to the surface of the ground. Later you can extend the concrete sleeve up into a form which will give you additional termite protection.

In this example habitat we will use pressure treated (PT) 4 x 4's for our corner posts. Be sure to have your measurements square and your posts plumb vertically.

We will start with the pictorial construction phase by phase.

Notice the stakes which were used to measure to keep the habitat square with the nearest building. Then the posts were set at approximately the same depth. The top can be leveled and the posts cut to the exact same height so an inch or so difference at the bottom won't matter.

Setting the Corner Posts
The posts are left to set up overnight and the following day the framing will begin as in photo 5 below.

Starting the Framing-In
The floor joists are added and then the side boards of the cupola. Everything is kept inside the 4 x 4's so that the wire layer spacing will be easier to accomplish. The cupola is formed by 2 x 12' yellow pine boards. Its important to pick out straight ones so the joint is even all the way around.

The photo of the cupola from the inside gives a good idea of the privacy and shelter that it provides. The nest box will go up inside the cupola after it is lined with wire. Perches will run in front of the nest box entry which will be very secluded and give them maximum privacy. They can then descend to lower perches and the bottom of the flight anytime they want to. The vertical depth of the cupola is 24" and is constructed from 2 x 12 inch yellow pine for maximum insulation from heat and cold. After the wood shrinks then a silicone seal will be added from the outside at the junction between the two boards forming the cupola.

Notice the wood is lined with wire for two reasons, one to prevent chewing out and the other one because it allows them to climb around on the walls which they like to do. You can see from the perch Lola is on that the entry to the nest box is just to the left of the photo and she can actually just hop right into it from the perch. The access door to the nest box cannot be seen in this photo but is within easy reach just to the left of the photo area.

Also, notice the perch that runs forward toward the front of the habitat and is connected with the perch she is sitting on. This allows them a lot of flexibility in positioning according to their own comfort levels. Also, notice that the nest box is on the north side of the habitat away from the hottest sun and that there is a vent space over the top of it.

Forming the Bottom Tray
We use white aluminum sheeting over pressure treated plywood, fastening it down with both waterproof glue and heavy stainless steel screws. This design has three panels (front and both sides) where the sheeting is running up six inches and bent over the top of the side boards. The back has no sheeting running upwards because that is where the drop door opens for hosing out the daily excess food bedding etc.

Covering the Tray With Wire Floor
Notice some important details in photo 10. The center support joist is a 2 x 4 and the side joists are 2 x 6. This is important because the support joist allows us to enter the habitat physically for any reason we might need to plus it gives 2" clear between the bottom of the support joist and the aluminum sheeting. This allows for a completely clean sweep when hosing out because there is no place for bugs or debris to hide.

Again, notice the back of the tray is open, except that it will be covered with the same wire that is on the floor to prevent varmints from entering should the drop door be accidentally left open. However the 1" x 2" wire will not prevent small rats or snakes from entering so care needs to be taken in establishing a routine habitat servicing that makes sure the drop door is properly closed and latched.

You cannot use a finer wire there than the size of the floor wire because if you do larger pieces of food will drop thru the floor than can be hosed out.

Adding The Wire
Notice that the wire is being added on the inside of the 4 x 4's so that we have the four inches of the 4 x 4 to add the spreaders (2" apart) that will keep the wire away from the mosquito screening and the outside hardware cloth (squirrel proofing) away from the mosquito screening on the outside also 2" apart. It seems simple but its hard to explain, see photo 12 for more detail.

Beveled Spreader Close up
The beveled spreader is cut from a yellow pine 2 x 4. You can see the bevel clearly and all this is for is to make the hosing out easier and quicker. The entire 2" of the 2 x 4 goes between the bird wire in the inside and the mosquito screening on the outside of the 2 x 4. (The screening looks like it has big holes in it but that is because of the magnification of the photo, its actually a very fine mesh mosquito screening.) There is no good way to show the next level which is another 2 x 4 but no bevel between the screening and the outside hardware cloth. Also notice that the bevel begins about 2" above the bottom wire, this is so that when you are hosing the wire the debris will not be pushed beyond the wire by the water pressure giving you more debris to remove.

Concrete Footer
Note that the concrete footer is poured to join the initial concrete poured around the posts when first set. We use an inverted throw away plastic flower pot to make the footer pour mold. This protects the underground part of the post from termites and we use pressure treated wood for these posts.

Adjoining Playpen Frame
The playpen is a much more temporary structure but even here the posts are set in concrete. Since there is no feeding done here only bathing and sunning for short periods (2 hours maximum) it is not screened. We used to let them loose in the backyard but since the Bald Eagle took my big Koi I don't feel comfortable without some protection for them.