# Im almost ready to start breeding



## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

The tiels new cage is getting ordered on Thursday and im finished school tomorrow so I have a week off for the October break and with that week off ill be doing a little bit more work with Rio and ill be getting most of the stuff ill need (Nest Box,Cuttlebone etc)


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

So you are planning on breeding them? How old are they exactly? Because the ideal age for a hen is about 18 months. Also have you saved up some money for vet visits? I spent quite a bit at the vet while breeding when i had sick babies. Its always best to be prepared.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

roxy culver said:


> So you are planning on breeding them? How old are they exactly? Because the ideal age for a hen is about 18 months. Also have you saved up some money for vet visits? I spent quite a bit at the vet while breeding when i had sick babies. Its always best to be prepared.


Rocko is 17 months old and Loki is around a year old yes I read that thats why I mentioned in one of my old threads I have to wait until Loki is ready.Yes ive saved up for vet visits it wasnt specifically for the babies I just started saving money for vets incase any of my birds got sick.Im still researching I wanna make sure im ready and have everything before I start.How many eggs do first time mothers usually lay?


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

First time cockatiel mothers lay 42 eggs. Then it decreases with each subsequent breeding until they get to their standard laying amount, depending on the hen. This is usually somewhere from 3-6 eggs.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

bjknight93 said:


> First time cockatiel mothers lay 42 eggs. Then it decreases with each subsequent breeding until they get to their standard laying amount, depending on the hen. This is usually somewhere from 3-6 eggs.


Are you messing I dont think thats true 42 eggs in one clutch how could two cockatiels take care of so many babies at once.


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## littletiel (May 15, 2011)

Brandon2k14 said:


> Rocko is 17 months old and Loki is around a year old yes I read that thats why I mentioned in one of my old threads I have to wait until Loki is ready.


Well, it will be another 6 months if you want to wait for her "ideal age"...


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

I didn't think it was true at first either. But every one of my hens laid 42 eggs the first time. The second time was around 35, then 22, 12, and then most of my hens were laying around 3-8 eventually. That's why diet and lighting is so important. The amount of eggs they're going to lay and the babies they raise take their toll on the birds' health.


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## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

bjknight93 said:


> I didn't think it was true at first either. But every one of my hens laid 42 eggs the first time. The second time was around 35, then 22, 12, and then most of my hens were laying around 3-8 eventually. That's why diet and lighting is so important. The amount of eggs they're going to lay and the babies they raise take their toll on the birds' health.


I think this is a joke, right? Not the part about the diet and lighting obviously, but this 42 eggs in one clutch thing?

My hen Murray just laid her first clutch and there were three, laid at intervals of 48 hours. If your hen did the same she would need to lay - non-stop - for three months straight to produce 42 eggs. Either you had more than one female on that nest, or it's April 1st and someone didn't tell me!


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## JoJo's Mom (Oct 20, 2012)

Have you had Loki DNA'd? She is still too young to breed safely. What are you going to do while you are in school and can't be there for them?


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

What type of diet are your birds on? They need to be used to eating foods they will need to feed the chicks and will need food and water often thru the day when they have chicks in the nest... I feed my birds 6+ times a day, every few hours and change their water at least 4 times a day cuz they make a mess of it by drinking with food on their beaks... I feed them so often because I feed cooked and fresh foods that will spoil if left out too long, and they eat massive amounts of it also... I feel like a birdie slave! It is almost as demanding as handfeeding.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

JoJo's Mom said:


> Have you had Loki DNA'd? She is still too young to breed safely. What are you going to do while you are in school and can't be there for them?


I know Loki is a female and I know shes young thats why im waiting (do people not read) the chicks will be raised by their parents so they be ok while im in school and they will be supervised by my mam and shes home all the time.The babies will be socialised at a young age with humans so they can be tame.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

We just want to make absolutely sure that you know how long you need to wait before you can safely breed your hen. Aside from all of the possible health issues, the risk of immature parents abandoning a nest is also greater. As an example, the baby i'm currently hand raising was given to me at 3 days old because his parents (father 14 months and hen just over 12 months) abandoned the nest with the baby and two unhatched eggs in it. 

Is your mum ok with the possibility of 2 hourly round-the-clock feedings just in case the parents become unreliable early on? Or assist feeding a few times a day every day? Because even though you're waiting until Loki is old enough physically, first time parents can often be a bit clueless and there's a high possibility that they may need some help.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Brandon2k14 said:


> JoJo's Mom said:
> 
> 
> > Have you had Loki DNA'd? She is still too young to breed safely. What are you going to do while you are in school and can't be there for them?
> ...


People do read. Generally when you use the word "almost ready," it implies that you are going to do something in the near future. 

Have you found someone who can teach you to hand feed? And do you have a vet equipped to handle possible egg binding or sick baby birds?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Most hens do not lay 42 eggs ever in their lives. That's for heavy egg layers that are hard to stop laying. My hens always laid between 4 and 6 eggs depending on the hen. I had one lay 8, that was the most I ever had in a clutch. 

Everyone is just making sure you have all the info needed. Have you looked into making a brooder? That will be needed if the parents abandon the babies. It's much easier to have one ready before hand then get one ready last minute. What kind of bedding will you be using? Breeding was like having another full time job for me, that's for sure.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

Pikachu laid 15 the first time. They were all infertile because I was not trying to breed her. These days she only lays 2-3; there's some truth to the belief that some mothers lay more their first time, but that doesn't mean they're going to lay 42 eggs.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

I've never had a hen lay more than 8, so 42 would be absolutely shocking if it were to happen to one of my hens. Oh my god lol.


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

Mine laid 16 her 1st and 2nd clutches, now I load her with 10 fake eggs when she starts laying and she stops at 7 or 8.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

shaenne said:


> We just want to make absolutely sure that you know how long you need to wait before you can safely breed your hen. Aside from all of the possible health issues, the risk of immature parents abandoning a nest is also greater. As an example, the baby i'm currently hand raising was given to me at 3 days old because his parents (father 14 months and hen just over 12 months) abandoned the nest with the baby and two unhatched eggs in it.
> 
> Is your mum ok with the possibility of 2 hourly round-the-clock feedings just in case the parents become unreliable early on? Or assist feeding a few times a day every day? Because even though you're waiting until Loki is old enough physically, first time parents can often be a bit clueless and there's a high possibility that they may need some help.


Yeah shes ok with that shes excited too she misses when Tiko was just a little baby.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

enigma731 said:


> People do read. Generally when you use the word "almost ready," it implies that you are going to do something in the near future.
> 
> Have you found someone who can teach you to hand feed? And do you have a vet equipped to handle possible egg binding or sick baby birds?


My mam knows how to hand feed she had to do it when we took Tiko home.I have a few questions to ask my vet most of the things you told me like asking do they do blood work and stuff and ill tell them ill be breeding soon.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

roxy culver said:


> Most hens do not lay 42 eggs ever in their lives. That's for heavy egg layers that are hard to stop laying. My hens always laid between 4 and 6 eggs depending on the hen. I had one lay 8, that was the most I ever had in a clutch.
> 
> Everyone is just making sure you have all the info needed. Have you looked into making a brooder? That will be needed if the parents abandon the babies. It's much easier to have one ready before hand then get one ready last minute. What kind of bedding will you be using? Breeding was like having another full time job for me, that's for sure.


I never knew you could make a brooder how do you do that? I read that its best not to use bedding what should I use.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

You *need* to have some sort of bedding in the nestbox, otherwise the chicks could end up with splayed legs. I can't stress this enough. I recently educated a budgie breeder about this as she didn't use any bedding in case the chicks ingested it but wondered why they all ended up with splayed legs. The chicks need lots of support and traction underneath them so that they can hold themselves upright and not end up doing the splits.

There are a lot of things you can use for bedding. My personal favourite is shredded aspen. There is some good information here: 









As for a brooder, making one is very easy. You don't need a lot of fancy equipment. You need a sturdy box (a plastic storage container works well), a heat pad or heat lamp, a bunch of old towels, a snuggle toy (like a short haired teddy) and a digital thermometer (you can use a mercury thermometer but I find digitals MUCH easier to read).

Pick an easy access spot for the brooder and place the box there. Place the heat mat (if you are using one) under the box so that it covers 1/2 of the box. If using a heat lamp, position it so that half of the box is heated. Using a 2nd digital thermometer can be helpful to maintain a low temperature in the 2nd half of the box (leaving 1/2 of the brooder unheated is necessary so the chick/s can move there if they get too hot). 
Lay down a couple of your towels inside the box so that there is lots of padding. Make sure there are no ditches or uncovered areas where chicks might fall and get stuck between bedding and the side of the box. Add some nestbox bedding if you wish but I don't. Place the digital thermometer/s in the corner of the box where you'll be able to read it without moving anything.
Some people use a lid for their brooders but I don't. I make sure my box is tall enough so that the chicks can't climb out, and when they get to the age where they can fly out, they are moved to a starter cage.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

Thats some really helpful information thank you I have a large green plastic box and its tall and theres a shop near me that sells cheap heating pads so I could get a few of those and the pet shop has aspen shavings.What about one of those paper thermometers? Do you put the babies in the box when mam and dad is finished taking care of them.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Ugh I had a reply all typed out and then my computer crapped itself and I lost it all. ANYWAY.

I guess you could use a paper thermometer (not entirely sure what that is though), but I really do recommend using a digital thermometer. Maintaining an appropriate temperature is vital for the chicks development, and not having a reliable heat source and reliable method of monitoring the temperature really could be the difference between successfully raising a chick, or seeing one die.

If the temperature in the brooder is too low, the chick will be using its survival resources to stay warm instead of being able to focus on development. An environment that is too cool can also have a very negative effect on digestion, causing slow/sour crop and other digestion issues, which can kill a baby quite quickly. On the flip side, if the temperature is too warm, the chick can very easily overheat and die.
This is what I use;








It's a mini weather station that is used in like home greenhouses or something. But it was only $12 and it tells me everything I need to know (having an extra clock around the house helps too lol). I got it from the gardening section of a big hardware store we have here. You can get them from anywhere though I think. But even just a basic digital thermometer would be fine.

If the parents raise the chicks successfully on their own, you won't need to use the brooder. By the time they kick the chicks out of the nest, the room temperature should be adequate for them. 
Buy all of your brooder supplies before you start breeding though. Set your brooder up where you want it, play around with the heat source position until you are reading a consistent temperature, and have everything ready. That way, if something happens to go wrong and you need to pull chicks, all you will need to do is turn on the brooder's heat source and give it a few minutes to warm up, and it will be ready to move babies in.

You can find a guide for age/temperature requirements here: http://www.cockatiel.org/articles/handfeeding.html
This is the guide that I use.

If you think the box you have might be too big an area for young chicks, you can roll up a towel and place it in the box as a barrier. Just make sure the chicks area is large enough to be half heated and half cool. 
The first box I used as a brooder was a large plastic tub, and I only had one baby in it and the area was far too big, so I rolled up a towel and placed it across the middle of the box, halving the area. As she got bigger and more adventurous, I took the towel out so she had more room to move.


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

I am sorry if your asking basic questions like this, your no where's near ready to breed... You need to do tons of research before hand. Start looking thru the breeding guides and googling things to learn.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

shaenne said:


> Ugh I had a reply all typed out and then my computer crapped itself and I lost it all. ANYWAY.
> 
> I guess you could use a paper thermometer (not entirely sure what that is though), but I really do recommend using a digital thermometer. Maintaining an appropriate temperature is vital for the chicks development, and not having a reliable heat source and reliable method of monitoring the temperature really could be the difference between successfully raising a chick, or seeing one die.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the information ill look at the link a paper thermometer is just like a thermometer attached to paper it tells you how hot or cold the room is I think its best to just get a digital thermometer just incase and some heating pads and maybe a lamp if I find one.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

ParrotletsRock said:


> I am sorry if your asking basic questions like this, your no where's near ready to breed... You need to do tons of research before hand. Start looking thru the breeding guides and googling things to learn.


I have already done tons of research on breeding before I even got cockatiels and I done more research when I decided I actually wanted to and also I have gotten lots of advice too I was first researching about the breeding now I am researching about the babies and as you can see I am getting great information and help and once I do start breeding which wont be for a while ill still have members here to help me through it  and your right im not ready to breed not because im no where near ready but because I haven't got the equipment yet and Loki isn't old enough yet and I have to wait for their new cage to come.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> Thats some really helpful information thank you I have a large green plastic box and its tall and theres a shop near me that sells cheap heating pads so I could get a few of those and the pet shop has aspen shavings.What about one of those paper thermometers? Do you put the babies in the box when mam and dad is finished taking care of them


I'd go with a good heating lamp personally. I had a cheapy heating pad when I was breeding and it short circuited and killed the baby I was trying to save. It was a horrible experience. The lamps are easier to control and the baby can escape the lamp if it gets too warm. 

O if anyone tries to tell you to use coconut hair, run away. It sucks the moisture out of the eggs and kills them. Most pet stores don't actually know what they're talking about when it comes to breeding. Pau d'arco is good to have one hand as well, its an extract I used the last time I bred and saved three babies. I had black mold in the house and didn't know it until I moved out. I kept losing babies because of this and the pau d'arco saved three of them thankfully. You just add it to the parents water every day and they feed it to the babies. Srtiels is our resident breeder and all her awesome info is in the breeding section. Take everything she wrote to heart, she knows what she's talking about. 



> I am sorry if your asking basic questions like this, your no where's near ready to breed... You need to do tons of research before hand. Start looking thru the breeding guides and googling things to learn.
> Edit/Delete Message


Everyone has to start somewhere. He has a while yet to start as Loki isn't old enough and he knows this. There are is so much bad advice on the internet I never trusted any other site but this one when it came to breeding. I even bought breeding books and they had bad info in them. It was ridiculous!


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

roxy culver said:


> I'd go with a good heating lamp personally. I had a cheapy heating pad when I was breeding and it short circuited and killed the baby I was trying to save. It was a horrible experience. The lamps are easier to control and the baby can escape the lamp if it gets too warm.
> 
> O if anyone tries to tell you to use coconut hair, run away. It sucks the moisture out of the eggs and kills them. Most pet stores don't actually know what they're talking about when it comes to breeding. Pau d'arco is good to have one hand as well, its an extract I used the last time I bred and saved three babies. I had black mold in the house and didn't know it until I moved out. I kept losing babies because of this and the pau d'arco saved three of them thankfully. You just add it to the parents water every day and they feed it to the babies. Srtiels is our resident breeder and all her awesome info is in the breeding section. Take everything she wrote to heart, she knows what she's talking about.
> 
> ...


Lol I always know when pet shops dont know what their saying like if your getting a hamster they would tell you to get the fluffy bedding when really toilet paper is the safest to use.Where would I get a heating lamp is there a specific one thats good for baby birds.Im happy with all the great advice im getting and I ordered Rocko and Loki's new cage yesterday I decided on a different one its wide ill post a picture.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)




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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Do you have the measurements? Pictures are always hard to tell. The best advice I ever got on cage sizes was 12 inches per bird. So for two you would need 24 inches. I actually had breeding specific cages for my birds. They were really long, but shorter because my birds spent most of their time in the nest box. And I only used them for breeding.

Haha I work with hamsters. Carefresh is pretty good for them. But rodents tend to stink and I always go with pine because it kills some of the smell.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

roxy culver said:


> Do you have the measurements? Pictures are always hard to tell. The best advice I ever got on cage sizes was 12 inches per bird. So for two you would need 24 inches. I actually had breeding specific cages for my birds. They were really long, but shorter because my birds spent most of their time in the nest box. And I only used them for breeding.
> 
> Haha I work with hamsters. Carefresh is pretty good for them. But rodents tend to stink and I always go with pine because it kills some of the smell.


Ill try get the measurements now it said on the description that its suitable for Caiques and my Aunt has this cage for Cracker the fiery shouldered conure its very far back too like his swing is at the very back of the cage and then he has lots of room in the front so he can fly side to side and back to front.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

Measurements 20L x 20D x 28.5H inches (With top Closed)
I almost forgot I need to get a weighing scale for the babies and for my current babies.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

It should be OK for a breeding cage I think. Is there a spot to attach the nest box to it?


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

roxy culver said:


> It should be OK for a breeding cage I think. Is there a spot to attach the nest box to it?


I dont think so but the door where the food bowl goes I could attach it there and move one of the bowls.Can the nest box be placed inside the cage.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

I think Loki has a calcium deficiency her beak looks like its chipping


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

Brandon2k14 said:


> I dont think so but the door where the food bowl goes I could attach it there and move one of the bowls.Can the nest box be placed inside the cage.


A cockatiel nest box is quite large and would take up quite a bit of space in a 20x20 cage... Moving a feed dish and using the feed door is suitable IF the doors are removable and or will swing back far enough. Also if the box is inside the cage it is much harder to access so you can check the chicks and clean the box.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

ParrotletsRock said:


> A cockatiel nest box is quite large and would take up quite a bit of space in a 20x20 cage... Moving a feed dish and using the feed door is suitable IF the doors are removable and or will swing back far enough. Also if the box is inside the cage it is much harder to access so you can check the chicks and clean the box.


The cage does have a very big floor space and I think the door does swing back all the way.Also can you not move the nest box when cleaning it.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

roxy culver said:


> I'd go with a good heating lamp personally. I had a cheapy heating pad when I was breeding and it short circuited and killed the baby I was trying to save. It was a horrible experience. The lamps are easier to control and the baby can escape the lamp if it gets too warm.


I definitely agree. I tried for ages to find a heat mat for Zoe but I couldn't find one ANYWHERE so I got her a heat lamp instead, and i'm so glad I did. It's so easy to move it around to adjust the temperature and I can't imagine it would be that easy with a heat pad. Plus I have heard a lot of horror stories (including yours now) about heat mats shorting out and killing the chick/s. I wouldn't ever want to go through that!


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

A heating lamp sounds like a better choice where do I get one of these?


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

You can get them from pet stores I think. I just got my globe from the hardware store. The box had pictures on the side of what it can be used for and it had a picture of a chick on it so i'm assuming they're used in chicken brooders. Then I just found a lamp that would accommodate the globe. I'd ask for the shop assistant's help finding a suitable lamp though.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Just FYI, some heat lamps have teflon coating, which is dangerous. So you'll need to make sure whatever you get doesn't have that.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

shaenne said:


> You can get them from pet stores I think. I just got my globe from the hardware store. The box had pictures on the side of what it can be used for and it had a picture of a chick on it so i'm assuming they're used in chicken brooders. Then I just found a lamp that would accommodate the globe. I'd ask for the shop assistant's help finding a suitable lamp though.


Thanks for your help


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

enigma731 said:


> Just FYI, some heat lamps have teflon coating, which is dangerous. So you'll need to make sure whatever you get doesn't have that.


I do know those type of things


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

That's good, but not everyone does. Now anyone reading this thread in the future will be aware.


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

Brandon2k14 said:


> The cage does have a very big floor space and I think the door does swing back all the way.Also can you not move the nest box when cleaning it.


I would not recommend moving the nest box to clean it, in my opinion that would be very disturbing to the parents. If it is on the floor the parents will poop all over it also.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> I would not recommend moving the nest box to clean it, in my opinion that would be very disturbing to the parents. If it is on the floor the parents will poop all over it also


Exactly. The best way to stop birds from nesting is to disturb the nest TOO much. The cages I used for breeding had four food doors, two in front and one on each side. Since they were on the floor, we used the side doors for the nest box. When I had to clean the box, I would scoot the parents out with a spatula, place the babies in small box, and scoop out the poop and then place fresh bedding on top. Then I'd put the babies back before letting the parents back in the box.


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

Now you are planning to breed it is a good idea to keep a diary if you don't already. It's surprising how much detail you forget if it is not written down, and it's great to look back for future reference


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

Phoenix2010 said:


> Now you are planning to breed it is a good idea to keep a diary if you don't already. It's surprising how much detail you forget if it is not written down, and it's great to look back for future reference


Yeah I know all about that


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

So you already keep a diary? That's great


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

Phoenix2010 said:


> So you already keep a diary? That's great


Yes I also read the sticky on keeping a record.


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