# Cleaning out Nesting box with babies in it? Advice Please!



## angelmommy24 (Nov 20, 2011)

Ok is it safe to clean boxes while babies are in the box? I know with multiples it's going to get messy and with Aphrodite having 5 Fertile eggs they will start hatching any second (1st egg is 17 days, 15,13,11 and 9 days incubation).. Can you pull the babies daily maybe put them in a small container with bedding just long enough to clean out dirty bedding and swap for fresh & clean bedding can this be done every other day, weekly? I mean 5 little babies plus mom & dad in the little box, it's going to stink with all the babies going potty in the box so I thought I could add new bedding daily?? And what is SAFE to use on the babies to clean the box out with?? Advice anyone?? Just looking for advise what do you do always better to prepare myself


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## angelmommy24 (Nov 20, 2011)

Also I don't want to risk upsetting the parents, causing them to abandon or pluck the babies any suggestions of keeping the nesting box clean???


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

You don't have to clean the nestbox at all if you don't want to - cockatiel parents don't clean the nest and it's natural for the babies to grow up in the resulting mess. But a lot of us humans don't like the mess and it's OK to clean it if you want to. The frequency is up to you. I go with every other day, since some exposure to dirt helps the babies boost their immune systems. Tiny babies don't make too much of a mess plus the parents sit tight for the first few days, so I don't clean the box at all until the first baby is about a week old and the parents have started spending most of their time outside the box.

Here's how I do it:

Step 1: put the parents in a different cage, because they'll be upset if you start messing with the nestbox while they have access to it.

Step 2: put the babies/eggs in a container with clean bedding or paper towels in the bottom (it's just for a few minutes so paper is OK). You can put a light towel across the top if you think the babies will be happier in the dark.

Step 3: use some kind of scraper to remove most of the poop that's crusted on the sides, then remove the top layer of the old bedding (the lower layer of the bedding stays pretty clean and doesn't have to be changed). I put the dirty bedding in a plastic bag and dump it outside as mulch for plants. I don't wash the sides of the nestbox since moisture helps promote the growth of bacteria, and I think that's a bigger problem than having a little poop on the side of the box.

Steps 4-6: put fresh bedding in the box and make a little hollow in it to hold the babies, return the babies/eggs, and return the parents to the breeding cage.


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## angelmommy24 (Nov 20, 2011)

tielfan said:


> You don't have to clean the nestbox at all if you don't want to - cockatiel parents don't clean the nest and it's natural for the babies to grow up in the resulting mess. But a lot of us humans don't like the mess and it's OK to clean it if you want to. The frequency is up to you. I go with every other day, since some exposure to dirt helps the babies boost their immune systems. Tiny babies don't make too much of a mess plus the parents sit tight for the first few days, so I don't clean the box at all until the first baby is about a week old and the parents have started spending most of their time outside the box.
> 
> Here's how I do it:
> 
> ...


Thank you very much!!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> I'm off to get a scraper


The scraper doesn't have to be anything fancy - a small, stiff piece of cardboard will do the trick!


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

I agree with tielfan. I don't clean out the box right away and only once every few days once the babies have reached about a week. I have a cheap paint scraper for the big mess. Its metal and can be cleaned well. Cardboard works too but I find the paint scraper to be stiffer and will remove more. Of course, be careful not to remove the wooden box with the scraper - lol, I did that once and had to replace the box. Also depending on the type of box you are using, always check for exposed nails or sharp chewed areas that the babies can be injured on.


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## angelmommy24 (Nov 20, 2011)

Dreamcatchers said:


> I agree with tielfan. I don't clean out the box right away and only once every few days once the babies have reached about a week. I have a cheap paint scraper for the big mess. Its metal and can be cleaned well. Cardboard works too but I find the paint scraper to be stiffer and will remove more. Of course, be careful not to remove the wooden box with the scraper - lol, I did that once and had to replace the box. Also depending on the type of box you are using, always check for exposed nails or sharp chewed areas that the babies can be injured on.


I will definitley be careful LOL- I use the nesting boxes from Petsmart.. I will definitley wait until the babies reach about 1 week old thanks again... I do deep cleanings on the cages but while the mom is nesting I only do light clearnings (changing out the newspapers, food bowls water) so I don't interrupt the parents and since Aphrodite and Spike are doing such an amazing job I really don't want to upset them when Im changing there food and water I make sure the first thing I do is give them millet as a treat  everyday  my cockatiels are just to spoiled


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