Hi all

 

I have 4 baby budgies (100% success rate for first breeding!!). The oldest will be 2 weeks old on Monday. The nest box is soiled with faeces and is starting to smell. Please can you advise on what I should do.

 

Can I clean the box?

 

I would prefer to swap it with a clean one. Will the hen be okay with a new one put in the same spot with the chicks inside?

 

Please can somebody help me, I'm scared the chicks will get sick from a dirty box.

Congratulations on the little ones! I'll bet they are so cute.

 

I had the same question when my birds were raising babies. You can clean the box. I waited until the hen had left and then raised the lid and scooped it out. (yuck) It was not a bad chore because all the feces stayed very dry-it was weird. It was a little dusty, but that's it. They weren't wet until the babies were ready to fledge. I think it has something to do with the mixture the hen feeds to the babies. Just be as quick as you can without scaring the babies, because your hen will see you in the box and get upset. You can use this time to gently pick each one up before you start cleaning- just loosely hold each one-let them walk through the circle your thumb and fingers make. If they start peeping alot, forget that part - just clean and leave. The hen will really freak out if the babies start making a lot of noise. They will get used to it eventually and you can hold them. The babies shouldn't get sick from anything in the box-they will even eat some feces because they don't know what it is yet. I was advised not to change the box-mine raised two clutches in the same box without it being removed and deep-cleaned and all are fine.

it is a good time to check the chicks as well make sure there legs are not stuck with feaces