As many of you know, I have 3 pairs with young ones and many of them are jumping out of the nest box, only to find themselves stuck on the floor of the cage. I pick them up and put them back in the nest box, but then they just jump out again the next day.

 

My question is this - should I put something on the bottom of the cage, like a small container with nest material in it, so they can just climb in there and huddle up, rather than simply try to squash together in a corner? When I come home I can put them back in the nest box but until then, they have somewhere to sit. One nest box had all 3 out today, and they were all squashed into the corner.

 

Thoughts? What do you other breeders do? Must be a common problem!!

I have the same thing happening right now too. I have a solution for you. I use icecream containers with the lid. I firstly cut an arched section out of the icecream container on one side cutting in from the top edge of the icecream container. Turn it over and you have acchieved an igloo kind of structure. I then clip the lid onto it and put a layer of nesting material into it. If the babies go to the floor of the breeding cabinet and especially through the night when it is cold, they find their way into the little icecream igloo. Pop it into a corner with the arch section facing towards them so they find their way in easily. You can put a sprig of millet in the igloo as well.

Make sure that they have access to water or some moisture or they might dehydrate. The cock should continue to feed them. If the chicks are older then 28 days they should be okay.

 

I have made some timber shelters simalar to what Kaz has discribed and I place it under the seed container when the oldest reaches 28 days.

Make sure that they have access to water or some moisture or they might dehydrate.

YES...for certain....I move my attached drinkers down to floor level on the front of the cage. The babies find it easily enough.

If they are 28days old, just put in the protection in for them & let the cock feed them.

this was a great topic, so I added to the FAQ section

My first topic I started added to the FAQ!! I feel like I finally made it - (Laughing out loud)!!1

welcome to the FAQ club Here it is in Print (Laughing out loud) there will be a picture added of Kaz's box and maybe some edits from our editor Aly (feathers)

Edited June 26, 200718 yr by Elly

Here is the igloos I use

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....=15720&hl=igloo

they look great KAZ.