K9JaY's Mews

[K9JaY]

Well, here we go. I bought my material last Friday, and dug the hole this past Saturday. Tuesday, I picked up my stone from the quarry. The guy dumps half of my ton of pea gravel on the ground, instead of in the back of the pickup. I just tell him to forget it, and spend the next half hour shoveling the stone in their parking lot. I got back and got all the gravel out of the truck and in the mews. I invited my sponsor, Gary over Tuesday to have a couple beers with me and look at the hole I dug. He comes over and helps me build the walls and put them up. I can't say enough about that guy. I owe him a lot. Anyways, here's the plan. I took some pictures this morning of my progress. As soon as I can find a stupid USB cord, I'll put them up too.

[kenbro77]

Looks like really good plans. Looks like it will a really good looking mews. Sounds like you got one of the few good sponsors out there. I was wondering about the weathering end of the mews. It looks like the whole open end of the roof will be made of bars. I was curios as to what kind of bars you will be using and are you going to put a brace down it? 5' span with out bracing may be a problem for ya. By the way, what program did you draw that with?

[Migisi]

Nice, K9!

I hate to sound like a broken record, but.... any plans for screening windows and barred roof for WNV mosquitos?

[K9JaY]

I'll have 1/4" hardware cloth on the windows, but as of right now, no screen. I won't be molting my Red Tail next summer, so I wouldn't think the misquitos will be an issue until I'm a general, if I decide to keep a bird over the summer at that time. 1/2" PVC pipe across the top of the open portion of the roof. Same goes for the windows. I didn't put that brace in the picture there, that you're talking about, Kenbro. There will be a cross brace in the roof and windows in the actual construction (I was too lazy to put them in the picture lol). I won't be nailing or screwing the PVC to the boards either. I'll be drilling all the holes and threading the pipe through the boards.

The roof is a 2 Pitch slope to the back of the mews, to keep as much moisture running away from the inside. I don't know if it was a good idea or a waste of time, but I dug about a 1 1/2' x 1 1/2' extra deep hole in the middle and filled it with gravel, as well. I thought it might be a decent idea for extra drainage. I slightly sloped the inside to the middle as well. I thought that might help the 4"x6" not rot in the years to come. I set them on 2" of gravel themselves, and filled the mews with about 4" of gravel throughout.

The windows are angled both with a full view of my house. That was to suggested to allow for him/her to view my house from 3 of the 4 perches, to keep from bouncing around trying to see the house, anticipationg me coming out (I can't really blame the bird. I'm an extremely exciting person to see come out of the house).

I just used MS Paintbrush to make that. I have way too much time on my hands.

[UTLongWinger]

Looking good K9Jay!

[forestfalcon]

Even though you aren't going to intermew your bird, I would still consider putting up screen. Mosquitoes are still around in September/October, and if you trap a bird early in the season, it is at risk for WNV still. Even if you have some warmer days early in the spring, the mosquitoes will hatch/come out of hibernation, and again put your bird at risk. True, you see them more in the Summer, but it is still very possible to contract WNV earlier, or later in the year.

[Migisi]

Jun 25, 2008 13:36:32 GMT -5 forestfalcon said:

True, you see them more in the Summer, but it is still very possible to contract WNV earlier, or later in the year.

I agree, FF. WNV patients start coming into rehab in Illinois in July, but we do get them in as late as October. And I've swatted a few skeeters in the field in early March during our Lady Hawkers meets.

If it was me, I'd finish off my mews with screening just in case. And in the event I changed my mind about intermewing my hawk - or I needed to keep it longer should it need rehabbing for some reason - or my sponsor or falconer friend asked me to hawk-sit their bird at my place while they vacationed.

But that's just me.

[K9JaY]

What would I put on the barred portion of the roof then, to keep misquitos out?

[kenbro77]

Jun 26, 2008 9:06:37 GMT -5 K9JaY said:

What would I put on the barred portion of the roof then, to keep misquitos out?

I have netting on my bars on the roof. I stapled it down on the edges and has held up all year so far, and we get some pretty good storms here.

[K9JaY]

Here are some pics of my unfinished mews:

[Joby]

Dude,
Your mews looks like a BIG, OLD Quonset Hut!!!
-Joe

[K9JaY]

Jun 28, 2008 21:33:34 GMT -5 Joby said:

Dude,
Your mews looks like a BIG, OLD Quonset Hut!!!
-Joe

LOL. Joe... that's my neighbor's barn you're looking at. My mews is the wooden thing in front of the quonset hut. Remind me to leave you stranded in Chicago some time. ;D

[Joby]

Just go ahead and try it K9!!! I'd probably just end up seeing a movie or something!!! ;D

[Migisi]

Jun 26, 2008 9:06:37 GMT -5 K9JaY said:

What would I put on the barred portion of the roof then, to keep misquitos out?

Hansen Screen sells 100 x 6 ft. rolls of window screen. thescreenplace.com/ScreeningAluminumBlack.html (No, I'm not a Hansen sales rep. Just a happy customer. )

Your bar roof is only 5 x 8 ft. Not big. You can find smaller rolls of window screen material at the hardware store and sew them together (with thin wire) to fit the roof. Lay the screen over (on top of) the bars, and staple it to the bars' wood frame.

If no wood framing - like on chain link dog runs - one can cable tie/screw up wooden batts (lathing strips) as a frame to fasten the screen to. Screen all windows and doors (if doors aren't solid).

The metal fabric lasts a long time without maintenance, with only an occasional restapling here and there. Sun breaks down the fiberglass stuff, so I didn't use it.

Added benefit to screening mews: no small birds flying into the mews (some carry avian herpes) - no wasps, meat-eating bees, or flies/maggots to annoy you or your bird - no hail stones - and no moldy leaf debris blowing in and piling up in the mews. And, I've found no mice in the mews either since I screened everything.

It's worth doing, IMO.

[Joby]

I actually just took 4x8' lattice and stapled the screening directly to the lattice and then layed that down (screen side down) over top of my 15x12x7' weathering area. It's worked pretty darn well and the screening is somewhat protected from falling branches, etc. by the lattice. If you do this, make sure to overlap the lattice by at least 1'.
-Joe