Looking for some help/advices from you all on the following, regarding having ventilation holes on the nestboxes:

 

1) What is the main purpose of this?

2) What should be the minimum size of the hole we can drill on nestboxes?

3) Whether drilling too many or too less ventilation holes has any bad affects?

 

Thanks

Looking for some help/advices from you all on the following, regarding having ventilation holes on the nestboxes:

 

1) What is the main purpose of this?

2) What should be the minimum size of the hole we can drill on nestboxes?

3) Whether drilling too many or too less ventilation holes has any bad affects?

 

Thanks

I don't know if this is good or bad, but I don't have ventalation holes in my nest boxes. I have the entry hole and two small holes for optional mounting positions, but no other holes. I would think that too many holes would allow drafts and the chicks or eggs could get chilled more easy. The nest box should we a warm "safe feeling" location. I'm curious to hear what the experts think too???

Edited October 2, 200816 yr by KAZ

If breeding through warm weather or in a warmer climate country its important to have ventilation holes. Nestboxes with chicks in build up heat in warmer weather and as the chicks grow. If you drill some 8-10 mm holes just a bit lower than the top perimeter that should suffice. How many and where depends on your nest box. In one like Daz'z design I would drill holes three each side on the blank sides and higher up.

In summer, if there are babies in the nests and its warm weather, I usually lift the slider to the nestbox during the day and replace it with a piece of aviary mesh so the nestbox and chicks dont get too hot in there. I put the usual sliding door back on for the night time.

If breeding through warm weather or in a warmer climate country its important to have ventilation holes. Nestboxes with chicks in build up heat in warmer weather and as the chicks grow. If you drill some 8-10 mm holes just a bit lower than the top perimeter that should suffice. How many and where depends on your nest box. In one like Daz'z design I would drill holes three each side on the blank sides and higher up.

In summer, if there are babies in the nests and its warm weather, I usually lift the slider to the nestbox during the day and replace it with a piece of aviary mesh so the nestbox and chicks dont get too hot in there. I put the usual sliding door back on for the night time.

 

I Love the aviary mesh idea!

I do too, as I have front slides on my nest boxes and they are in a room that promises to get quite warm during summer. Thanks for the suggestion! :happy-dancing:

Eeeeeeekkk!! Baby jailbirds! lol

 

That is such a great idea, thanks for sharing :happy-dancing:

If breeding through warm weather or in a warmer climate country its important to have ventilation holes. Nestboxes with chicks in build up heat in warmer weather and as the chicks grow. If you drill some 8-10 mm holes just a bit lower than the top perimeter that should suffice. How many and where depends on your nest box. In one like Daz'z design I would drill holes three each side on the blank sides and higher up.

In summer, if there are babies in the nests and its warm weather, I usually lift the slider to the nestbox during the day and replace it with a piece of aviary mesh so the nestbox and chicks dont get too hot in there. I put the usual sliding door back on for the night time.

 

Sorry KAZ, I should have taken that into consideration... I live in USA, PA and also have an indoor aviary so the need to "cool things down" here is much different than over there I assume. Sorry Karthik... that's my I'm not an expert... I don't think of the details of "location". You are good KAZ, you know your stuff and explain it well.

Thank you very much Kaz for detailed info and whether same nest box with 3 holes of 8/10mm either side can be used during colder reason also? Why I have started this thread is that I have problem of common house lizards in my area and my concern was that if I drill a 8/10mm hole, lizards may easily get in and which in turn might disturb the hen or eggs right. So alternatively what I was planning is to drill more number of smaller holes either sides, but I was not sure what will be the drawbacks of having too many holes drilled.

 

Chrissy no need to be sorry at all and that is how I personally learn things. Also on top of that for sure our expert beloved members will correct us immediately when we are wrong :doh: ....so no worries at all and happy posting

Your idea sounds workable to me karthik. As long as air gets in and no lizards do whatever works for you. With the airholes I have that are larger they can be covered by tape or a temporary thin wooden strip at other times.

But the smaller holes you speak of also should work for you :doh:

Thank you very much Kaz for detailed info and whether same nest box with 3 holes of 8/10mm either side can be used during colder reason also? Why I have started this thread is that I have problem of common house lizards in my area and my concern was that if I drill a 8/10mm hole, lizards may easily get in and which in turn might disturb the hen or eggs right. So alternatively what I was planning is to drill more number of smaller holes either sides, but I was not sure what will be the drawbacks of having too many holes drilled.

 

Chrissy no need to be sorry at all and that is how I personally learn things. Also on top of that for sure our expert beloved members will correct us immediately when we are wrong ....so no worries at all and happy posting

 

Could you put some mesh over the larger air holes??? Then the lizards couldn't get in... but still enough air???

Thank you very much Kaz for detailed info and whether same nest box with 3 holes of 8/10mm either side can be used during colder reason also? Why I have started this thread is that I have problem of common house lizards in my area and my concern was that if I drill a 8/10mm hole, lizards may easily get in and which in turn might disturb the hen or eggs right. So alternatively what I was planning is to drill more number of smaller holes either sides, but I was not sure what will be the drawbacks of having too many holes drilled.

 

Chrissy no need to be sorry at all and that is how I personally learn things. Also on top of that for sure our expert beloved members will correct us immediately when we are wrong ....so no worries at all and happy posting

 

Could you put some mesh over the larger air holes??? Then the lizards couldn't get in... but still enough air???

Very good idea Maesie

Wow, Great Idea

I'm not just a pretty face

Thanks Kaz and Maesie.

 

Just still trying to understand/know whether by drilling too many holes say for example 6 8/10mm holes either side, does this by any chance have any negative impact for breeding pairs during incubation or rearing time. This is just only for my better understanding on this and not intended to do it.