Nest Box Concerns

[JuSkabirbma]

Hey guys,

So just a little back story before I get to my conundrum:

I fell in love with my beautiful pineapple green cheek, Juno, one day last fall while visiting the Pet Smart, and brought her home with me! She wasn't DNA tested though so at first we called her "him.

A few months later, I was browsing Kijiji and found Skittles. He was DNA'd so definitely a boy. He needed a new home so we decided to take him in, in hopes that he and Juno would become friends.

All of our worries that they wouldn't like each other turned out to be for nothing, though we would have loved him either way o course. It was love at first sight! They acted as if they'd always known each other and we've always joked that we were tricked into getting love birds instead of conures. They immediately were inseparable, so we suspected that Juno was a girl, but weren't certain since we know sometimes males bond with males and females with females.

This summer we started to suspect even more, when Juno suddenly decided the cuttlebone was her favourite thing, and they started tearing up their bedding and making themselves a little tent and hiding under it! I decided to temporarily put a cardboard box in there just in case, because there is no place around here that sells breeding boxes, so I knew I would have to order one, or build my own.

Here comes the conundrum:

I decided building my own would take less time, but it wasn't quick enough to be done before the eggs were here. They knew what they wanted and worked fast! The problem is that I'm worried that their cardboard box isn't big enough, and they've also chewed the entire back of it as well as most of the bottom of it out (It's sitting on the bottom of their cage). The whole cardboard box will fit in the new box but I'm worried that they will abandon the eggs even if I move the whole thing. The new box that I built has been attached to the cage since I finished it but they've shown no interest in it. What should I do?? (I tried to attached pictures but it won't work on my phone)

 

[Peachfaced]

I have a Lovebird who dotes on her fake eggs. I can tell you that she does not care one bit if I move her "babies" around, even if it's to a new box or basket. I mean, she'll attack me because she's defending her nest, but she's always very quick to adapt once I show her the new location/nest.

I would just put the nest together, put a bit of the current nest material in there (to make it look like what they're used to seeing) and show them the eggs in the box. I think they'll go right to it like Sherbie does for her brood.

 

[JuSkabirbma]

I have a Lovebird who dotes on her fake eggs. I can tell you that she does not care one bit if I move her "babies" around, even if it's to a new box or basket. I mean, she'll attack me because she's defending her nest, but she's always very quick to adapt once I show her the new location/nest.

I would just put the nest together, put a bit of the current nest material in there (to make it look like what they're used to seeing) and show them the eggs in the box. I think they'll go right to it like Sherbie does for her brood.

So it's easiest to do it while they're eggs then?

 

[Peachfaced]

So it's easiest to do it while they're eggs then?

Yes, definitely as eggs. Moving them after they've hatched would be more dangerous with how fragile they are. Plus, you wouldn't want them to miss out on feedings in case they're scared to enter the box.

 

[JuSkabirbma]

Yes, definitely as eggs. Moving them after they've hatched would be more dangerous with how fragile they are. Plus, you wouldn't want them to miss out on feedings in case they're scared to enter the box.

Thanks! I was so worried to move them, but she does try to attack me when I even get close to the box so it sounds like she'd be like your girl!

 

[Peachfaced]

Thanks! I was so worried to move them, but she does try to attack me when I even get close to the box so it sounds like she'd be like your girl!

A girl's gotta protect what's hers! If you can lure the parents in to a travel cage so you can grab the eggs, that'd probably save your hands from her beak.

 

[JuSkabirbma]

I tried moving them and showing her where they were but she didn't care about them until I put them back in the cardboard box! Guess they'll have to stay there. Also, either I'm crazy or one egg seems to have disappeared. I know I checked several times before but now I'm doubting myself. I was sure that there were 6 eggs but when I went to move them there were only 5. I checked all through the box and cage and couldn't find another one anywhere. Is it possible she rejected one and pushed it out while I had the door open or something?

 

[Peachfaced]

@Monica @SandraK Any ideas?

 

[SandraK]

I tried moving them and showing her where they were but she didn't care about them until I put them back in the cardboard box! Guess they'll have to stay there. Also, either I'm crazy or one egg seems to have disappeared. I know I checked several times before but now I'm doubting myself. I was sure that there were 6 eggs but when I went to move them there were only 5. I checked all through the box and cage and couldn't find another one anywhere. Is it possible she rejected one and pushed it out while I had the door open or something?

You might have to keep the box w/eggs and put the whole shebang in a cage or inside a box with a bottom. When my tiels had their first clutch they picked a brown paper bag stored under their cage with those shredding finger traps. They shredded everything and laid eggs in it. And yes, they do sometimes eat their egg(s) - tiels & gccs.

 

[JuSkabirbma]

You might have to keep the box w/eggs and put the whole shebang in a cage or inside a box with a bottom. When my tiels had their first clutch they picked a brown paper bag stored under their cage with those shredding finger traps. They shredded everything and laid eggs in it. And yes, they do sometimes eat their egg(s) - tiels & gccs.

Would that mean the missing egg was probably infertile?

 

[Monica]

Eating eggs has nothing to do with fertility. It could have simply rolled away or they did decide to eat it.


Just gotta ask... are you experienced in hand feeding? Do you have an avian vet on hand to help you out? A breeder to help out in case of emergencies? Do you have the necessary equipment to hand raise chicks?

If you haven't already, you could try setting up the nest box the same way as the cardboard box, same location.... although since it doesn't sound like you have much knowledge yet, I wouldn't necessarily recommend encouraging them to reproduce until you get more knowledge and perhaps some experience so you can take care of them even in worst case scenarios.


Expect the worse, hope for the best.

 

[JuSkabirbma]

Eating eggs has nothing to do with fertility. It could have simply rolled away or they did decide to eat it.


Just gotta ask... are you experienced in hand feeding? Do you have an avian vet on hand to help you out? A breeder to help out in case of emergencies? Do you have the necessary equipment to hand raise chicks?

If you haven't already, you could try setting up the nest box the same way as the cardboard box, same location.... although since it doesn't sound like you have much knowledge yet, I wouldn't necessarily recommend encouraging them to reproduce until you get more knowledge and perhaps some experience so you can take care of them even in worst case scenarios.


Expect the worse, hope for the best.

I'm Not experienced in hand feeding, this is my first clutch but I have two breeders guiding me through everything. They're great! Super helpful! I just wanted to see if other opinions lined up with theirs. I have a small cage that I could put the box in inside their regular cage just so it's not sitting right on the floor and the babies will be more contained. They should start hatching soon, if they do. I keep getting bitten even when I have treats to offer so I only managed to check one for fertility (it was fertile). I've been told that doesn't necessarily mean it will hatch though since it was so early when I checked it.

 

[JuSkabirbma]

I plan on asking my manager if I can bring the whole brooder to work with me when I start hand feeding them, which I don't see her saying no to. Otherwise I live close to work so I can just go home on my breaks.

 

[Monica]

That's fantastic! It's great that you have breeders on hand that can help you out and guide you along the way! It will make things easier.

 

[SandraK]

Would that mean the missing egg was probably infertile?

Unless you've marked them as they've been laid and know how long ago they were laid there really wouldn't be a way to tell which is fertile and which isn't. It takes a certain number of days before you candle eggs to find out if they're fertile or not.

 

[finchly]

Day 5 after they’re sitting tight. Candling is easy — and fascinating.

 

[SandraK]

Day 5 after they’re sitting tight. Candling is easy — and fascinating.

Candling eggs is fascinating especially when you get to see the veins inside the egg.

 

[finchly]

Candling eggs is fascinating especially when you get to see the veins inside the egg.

And the heartbeat! And the little body moving. I love it.

I should do photos or a video.

 

[SandraK]

@JuSkabirbma You can sometimes tell too if the egg goes gray or by feeling the weight.

 

[JuSkabirbma]

@JuSkabirbma You can sometimes tell too if the egg goes gray or by feeling the weight.

Yeah, there were only a couple eggs when I was able to candle them and one was obviously growing, but she's too protective now! Is it safe to label them with something? I actually thought about doing that but didn't know if shells wee permeable to certain things or not.