Hi folks,

 

Would standard pet shop type nest boxes be suitable for breeding show/English budgies? If not, can someone suggest a suitable size for them?

 

Cheers

 

Tony

Can of worms question there Cranberry and many people will have differing views on whats the best size/style nest box.

 

I found that the standard pet shop boxes were way too shallow and I had chicks always coming out far to early. We biult our own boxes in the end and have adapted and changed them every now and then. We have settled on a design that works very well for us. It's based on a box within a box design with internal dimensions of something like 270mm high x 270 mm deep x 150mm wide with the exit hole placed reasonably high up so the babies have to be reasonably mature before they can climb out. Made from white malamine for easy cleaning. Inside that we use a mdf box made with 12mm base and 6mm sides with little pine runners. These are designed to be semi-throw-away and I use them for 2-3 seasons cleaning and disinfecting them prior to use again the next season. Thses I fill with pine shavings but you can use bran or other bedding material. The nest boxes have breather holes drilled top and bottom to prevent moisture buildup. These have been working an absolute treat and I don't have any more changes planned for the design.

I too would stay away from the pet store ones.

 

Daz has designed some lovely ones and he can make and flat-pack to you if you're not handy (or are just feeling lazy!)

No worries. I am feeling lazy so I sent Daz a PM. I've got too many other domestic things on the go at the moment. We'll see what he can do for me.

Edited June 29, 200916 yr by cranberry

I just got off the phone with a national judge who has around 200 birds at the moment and has been breeding birds since 1959. He reckons the pet shop type boxes are more than adequate for the show type birds. He reckons if they want to they will even breed in finch boxes if they had no other option. That settles it for me...