nests

[BillD]

I removed the bamboo nest from my flight cage today and put the Abba box in it's place. Filled it with enough coco-fiber to make a decent nest in my mind.

It is dark now and I just checked on them. They are not in the Abba. One is sitting on top of it and the other is on a perch.

Should I put the bamboo nest back in there?

[ac12]

It will take them a little while to figure it out.
My finches took a couple days before they would go into the nest box, and a few more days before they would stay in it for any length of time. And that was with nesting material hanging out of the nest, to catch their eye.

Is there no way to install it outside the cage. That way you can access the nest w/o taking it down, just open the cover.

[dfcauley]

I would not move it either. Give them some time... it is something new.......that is scarey....

[L in Ontario]

Ditto here - just leave the new nest and don't put the old one back. They will get used to the new one and they'll love it!! Best wishes!

[FeatherHarp]

Good luck with the new nest Bill....I like that style too but I had to put in a round plastic bowl in mine because the last time my Owls laid 9 eggs and they had them in two places in the nestbox....one bunch towards the back and another towards the front....so they would take turns sitting on each group.....end result....nothing hatched....argh!

Now that I put the round bowl in there they are sitting on 6 eggs (due to hatch any day now) and they are staying together this time.

That is one disadvantage of the big square flat nest box.

[Sally]

If they haven't started using the nest yet, I would hang it on the outside if that is possible with your cage. If you have the breeding doors on the end, you can hang the nest there--you may have to twist-tie the door open. With those species that don't seem to care, this gives them more room in the cage. Some of my waxbills won't go near a plastic box, or an outside nest, but some will.

[BillD]

I just checked in on them tonight and they are both huddled together on a perch. I feel so bad since I know they prefer a nest to feel safe.

I have 'doors' on both ends of the cage, but they are in the middle (vertically) on the sides. Not high up as they are used to. I have given them more coco fiber and they are stringing it around the millet sprays I have hanging from the roof. I will move the abba box to one of the ends, outside the cage and see what happens.

[Finch Fry]

Cut the front end of the old wicker nest and tape it to the front of the abba next box. Will make them think its their old nest and they may take it.

When i switched my zebs to the plastic nest box, they sat on top of it and the hen laid an egg on top of it. I decided to open the top of the next box so they couldnt sit on it and it forced them to perch on its edge (my nest box was completely in the cage).

After I noticed that they were going in it, i slowly lowered the lid down about 1 inch ever day with a piece of string i taped to the top of the lid. After 3 days, the lid was laying closed on the nest and they were in and out of it like pros.

[BillD]

WOW.. Thanks Chris.

That is great advice.

I placed the abba box in the same place as their wicker box, but they are not going near it. I will cut up the old wicker nest front and tape it to the front of the abba. I'll leave the lid down for a couple of days and see their reaction. If they don't like it, i'll move the lid up and see what happens. Then i'll take your advice on moving the lid down gradually.

Appreciate your advice.

[Finch Fry]

Well, no point in lowering the lid if they arent going in it. I left the lid up because it gave them the opportunity to use the edge that the lid seals on as a perch point. From here they could become comfortable with the space and realize that it was safe.

You should also consider tossing a piece of millet in the nest box too. This will get them to go in and out. After they do the in and out thing, then slowly lower it down. Doing it before they are going in wont do any good... in my opinion.

[ac12]

Hang in there Bill, give them time to find and get used to the nest box.
If they WANT to breed or want a private space, they will find the nest and use it. Even w the nest, mine would snuggle together on the perch at night, until the hen laid her eggs and she started sitting on the eggs thru the night.

BTW is the coco fibers the same material that they used in their woven nest? Using the same material would help.

Mine wanted to breed so bad that they are using a large D shaped food dish. I had been removing all the eggs she laid since Jan, when she raised her first clutch. The nest is open top, no privacy except for the depth of the food dish. I used the food dish because it was easier to visually monitor them and to remove eggs (to use to train my fosters), than a nest box inside the cage. My other breeding cages have outside nest boxes.

[ac12]

Deboah
Where did you find your plastic bowls?
I've been looking for a small bowl for my nest boxes.

BTW I did see the same thing that happened to your owls.
My gray zebras had a large food dish for a nest, and orchard grass for nesting material. The orchard grass would not hold a shape as a result, the nest bottom was flat. The eggs would easily move about the bottom of the nest. The next time I gave them Bermuda grass, and that held its shape enough that they were able to make a depression in the middle that the eggs stayed in.

[BillD]

Hang in there Bill, give them time to find and get used to the nest box.
If they WANT to breed or want a private space, they will find the nest and use it. Even w the nest, mine would snuggle together on the perch at night, until the hen laid her eggs and she started sitting on the eggs thru the night.

BTW is the coco fibers the same material that they used in their woven nest? Using the same material would help.

Mine wanted to breed so bad that they are using a large D shaped food dish. I had been removing all the eggs she laid since Jan, when she raised her first clutch. The nest is open top, no privacy except for the depth of the food dish. I used the food dish because it was easier to visually monitor them and to remove eggs (to use to train my fosters), than a nest box inside the cage. My other breeding cages have outside nest boxes.

Thanks ac..

I just checked in on them and they are huddled together on the top perch. It is the same coco fiber they used in the woven nest. I lifted the lid today on the Abba, but it may take a few days for them to get used to it. They always made an effort to build a nest in the food cups (layed eggs in them), but the food cups are no longer in the cage. Maybe with the lid up, they will get intrigued.

[ac12]

Bill
Do you have some fake eggs?
Putting 3 or 4 of them in the nest "might" do the trick...IF they look in the nest.

Or move their egg from their food dish into the new nest.
That is what I did, and they seem to have followed the egg to the new nest.

[BillD]

I don't have any fake eggs, but I'll look into that.

Since I raised the lid, I know they have been at least close to it. All the coco fiber I had placed inside has been removed. I'm trying one last thing. Since they were so fond of the food dish, I placed one inside the nest on top of some coco fiber, then put some more coco fiber in the food cup.

I'll wait a few days and see what they do with it.