Establishing a Locking Routine
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If you keep your birds in an outdoor aviary in a climate that becomes extremely cold during the winter months, you may rest more easily knowing that your birds are locked into the back of the enclosure every night. Once you start locking your birds in at the onset of the harsh weather, it is best to continue doing so until the weather is over.
Initially you may find it difficult to coax your birds into the back of the aviary, but after a week of so they will become familiar with the routine, It also helps to gave the pop hole or hatch leading to the shelter fairly high up, because birds are more likely to fly up to the entrance than they are to fly down to it. Soon you will find that when you enter the aviary at the end of the day, they will go straight into the shelter and then you can simply close the hatch.
Although your birds will suffer slight stress, this should subside when they recognize the routine. It is vital to stick to the locking in routine, for if you stop even for a few days, you will have to go through the same learning procedure as it the initial week and this will cause your birds unnecessary stress. Always lock your birds in during daylight hours; a window in the back shelter will help to make it more inviting. Do not attempt to lock them in at night, as they are likely to be panic, fly straight into the wire and injure themselves. The best time to lock them away is an hour before dusk.
During the winter months in temperate climates, the water bowl kept in an outside enclosure is certain to freeze over. When you arrive first thing in the morning and see the layer of ice in the bowl, do not simply break the ice, as it will quickly freeze over again. The best approach is to empty the bowl completely of ice and water and refill it with fresh lukewarm water, as this will prevent it freezing for at least a couple of hours. And never assume that the water will not freeze again until that evening, as you will probably need to replace it again after lunch.
A simple way of preventing birds from becoming waterlogged or drowning in a water dish is to add marbles or clean stones so that they can drink but easily climb out if necessary.