Nests and swing questions

[Barb]

What kind of nests/huts do any of you use for male Zebras to sleep in at night and how often do you replace them when they get dirty? Does anybody use those washable ones?

Also the cage I bought had a swing with a dowel about 1/2 inch big that the finch would use. I thought maybe the was to big for his feet so I bought a smaller one for a smaller bird and now he doesn't use it---any ideas why he would stop going to it?

Thanks for your ideas and suggestions...

[MiaCarter]

I use those covered bamboo nests, but more for breeding than sleeping.
They seem to love them, but they're impossible to clean and disinfect properly and they get nasty within a few weeks, so I discard them and give new ones every 2-3 weeks.

But nests can signal "it's time to breed" which I imagine could result in hormones and aggression if you have all males?
So you might opt for a shelf instead, with some nice foliage so they feel more secure. Those make a nice sleeping spot and they don't trigger the breeding instinct in my experience.

I've also used Kool-Aid canister caps as little sleeping nests. I'd poke 2 holes in the side of the cap, run a piece of hemp twine through each hole. Tie a big knot in each piece of twine so it doesn't pull through the hole. Then, I'd use the hemp twine to tie them to the side of the cage, hidden amidst the foliage.
They were super easy to disinfect and they perfectly fit 2-3 birds.
I've used these as a nice sleeping spot when I got young birds from the breeder -- they were sleeping in the food bowl instead of perching. So the Kool-Aid caps were a good way to get them out of the food!
My guys didn't use them as nests; they prefer the covered bamboo nests for actual nesting.
But if your guys view them as nests, then that could trigger problems with aggression and egg laying and so forth.

I've tried swings of all types and sizes and my guys have never used them. But I've seen friends with finches who love swings, so I think it's an individual preference sort of thing.

[lovezebs]

Barb
My guys all love swings. Maybe your boy just liked 'that' swing. I would give him his swing back.

[Barb]

I put the bigger swing back in the cage, and voila, he started using it.

[lovezebs]

Barb

[FrostyFinch]

My Zebras don't really use the little swing I have in the cage but my Waxbills love it! You are lucky they like the bigger swing!

And my Zebras are in full breeding mode now. They are pulling pieces of millet spray in to the corner of the cage along with newspaper they are shredding and having a fun time arranging and rearranging it all. They sound like little cats meowing….they are so funny to watch!

[Colt]

I use the plastic hamster balls as nests for my easy nesters like zebras and societies. They are easy to wash.

[Olympic_Aiairies]

My finches love these http://www.myladygouldianfinch.com/prod ... ry-egg.php and frankly so do I. They are super easy to nest check. Just an FYI if you have cats or dogs or kids or anything but the birds I'd twist tie the ends closed. I found out the hard way that they can be popped open by our animal friends.

[delray]

I have a swing close to the center of the cage and it's really cute when they swing around

[MiaCarter]

I use the plastic hamster balls as nests for my easy nesters like zebras and societies. They are easy to wash.

Well that's very clever!
I'm guessing that you're removing the little cap and letting them use that round hole as the door?
How do you tie it up? Passing some twine through the air slits?

Does it bother them that it's clear? Or did you somehow make it opaque?

[Colt]

Why thank you. Yes, I just twist the door out. I've experimented hanging them several ways.

You can see pictures I added to this thread on the second page (hopefully where the link takes you):

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... 8&start=15

I used to use cotton twine and weave it through the air slits to create a way of hanging it tightly where it wouldn't move. But it was hard to get the mouth of the ball to tilt upwards enough that I felt the nest inside was safe. With the mouth tipped down I worried about eggs or chicks getting knocked out.

Now I am currently zip-tying them to the top and sides to keep them still and like this method much better. I've had Zebras, Societies, Owls, and Stars all nest successfully in this design. Actually my Diamond Doves are ignoring their canary-cup nests in favor of the ball I had in there for the Shaft-tails. My lone Shaft-tail hen also built a nest and incubated an infertile clutch in a hamster ball before moving to a hooded wicker basket.

I provide a lot of different nesting options including emu feathers, long stranded coco fiber, shredded/crinkled paper, cotton, jute, sisal, spagnum moss, and sometimes place a layer of pine shaving in the bottom of the box to cushion the eggs should the pair work down to the bottom.

I currently have clear, hot pink, rose pink, and purple balls being used. Normally the pair build a globe within the ball so you can't see through the top unless I pre-build the nest and then offer no additional materials.

The downside to this nest is that it is not easy at all to do nest checks. I don't take them down unless I'm cleaning them out completely and putting them back up. Upside is the ease of cleaning them and they are re-usable as well as I've never had any issues with birds getting hung up in them. It's also very easy to catch birds out of the nests while they are sleeping.