Here are several photos of nest boxes we built for our Bourkes and Splendids.
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| Splendid nest box above, Bourke below. |
Nest boxes can be easy and inexpensive to build. If they're being used for budgerigar parakeets, you will need to carve a round dent in the bottom so that their eggs remain in that area. Budgies don't require any nesting material, but do need a circular indentation approximately two inches in diameter (across), gently sloping inward toward the center until about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch deep at the center. It should not be any deeper than this. The indentation is put in the center of the box floor.
Bourke and/or Splendid parakeets lay their eggs in nesting material, and most seem to choose a corner of the box. The best nesting material seems to be pine shavings which can be purchased by the bag. Pine shavings are also used in pet cages for hamsters and other rodents. Do not use cedar shavings...the smell offends the birds and they are unlikely to use the box.
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Rosy Bourkes happily using a cockatiel-sized nest box. Many variations are possible. |
Instructions to build a standard-sized parakeet nest box have been written up by Ed Lewis who made those in the photos. He placed the directions in a pdf version. Simply click the link below and you will be taken to a site where you can download and print the instructions. If you have any problem understanding them, don't hesitate to contact us. They were easy for me to follow, but I watched the nest boxes being built ... Smile.
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| Peeking inside. |
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 This is how we attach them to cages: with 8 inch "cable ties." Drill small holes in the side you've cut longer. |
This link will take you to directions for Building a Nest Box.
They can be downloaded for free and saved to your computer.
P.S. Ed is also E. G. Lewis, author of WITNESS and DISCIPLE, novels you can learn more about by clicking on the Cape Arago Press link in the sidebar at the left.
Peace & Blessings.
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