By Nancy Kizuka, Former NCS Judge
For several years now, we have used cardboard nestboxes in our cockatiel room.
Cleaning and disinfecting wooden nestboxes is such a demanding chore. Many people recommend drying nestboxes in the sun (next to impossible to do in Michigan in March - NO SUN!). Also, I could never figure out how to keep insects and droppings from wild birds away from the boxes. After reading and article with the suggestion of using cardboard boxes, Craig and I decided to give it a try.
We found a "container" company in the Yellow Pages. They manufacture the boxes, so we were able to buy them direct at a cost of 57 cents per box, purchased in bundles of 25. The boxes are 12x12x12 inch cubes. Craig has to put the boxes together. All done by folding and taping. Before taping the top shut, we put in three pieces of cardboard for the birds to chew up. We learned this the hard way. One or two layers of cardboard aren't enough to keep the birds (or eggs) in the box.
To attach the box to the breeding unit (cage), we use a piece of toe-molding with two screw-in cup hooks pushed through 2 holes at the top of the box. The molding is placed inside the box and the hooks come through the holes at the top of the box.
We cut the door, sides and bottom and fold it up. The birds often modify the opening so they can look out while they're incubating.
Cardboard nestboxes are great. The only drawback is the birds chewing through the cardboard and escaping or the eggs falling out. Three layers of cardboard usually prevents the latter. We only lost part of one clutch of eggs, BUT.... we lost one Whiteface Pearl male who left his nestbox, managed to get out of the birdroom and flew into the great outdoors when Craig was taking the trash out!
The advantages are numerous. The nestboxes are inexpensive. We just throw them away after each clutch. The molding with the hooks can be re-used. There is no cleaning and sterilizing to be done.
The boxes can be used for budgies, cockatiels, and grasskeets. Anything larger and the boxes would be reduced to nothing quite quickly.
It only takes about 10 minutes to put the nestbox together.
The tape we use is brown paper tape with glue on one side that is made wet with a sponge just as it is applied to the cardboard. It sticks just as quickly as an envelope flap.
The males are able to modify the entrance hole quite easily and seem to enjoy the ease of chewing the cardboard.
We still use wooden boxes for our amazons and conures. I sure wish there was cardboard though enough to withstand their beaks! We don't have to store a dozen or so wooden boxes now. We can buy the cardboard boxes at the start of each breeding season and out with the trash at the end.
Nancy Kizuka is a former NCS Panel Judge and has bred and exhibited many Champion cockatiels.