House and nest for parrots: features of choice, requirements, rules of manufacture

Parrots (especially wavy) are very popular pets among the inhabitants of our country. However, few people start two parrots for the sake of their reproduction. For those owners who are thinking about breeding, it is not enough just to acquire males and females that match each other - individuals will need special conditions to breed chicks, because first of all they need a nest.

Having two wavy parrots, many owners wonder why their relationship does not give offspring. It's all about the breeding instincts. Ordinary cages, which, as a rule, contain poultry, do not cause them to hatch eggs. For the withdrawal of females requires a secluded place.

But before you build a house for parrots, it is necessary to determine their age. Puberty of this species of birds begins with one and a half years and ends in the fourth year of life. The age of wavy parrots is determined by the following features:

• head pattern - usually reaches the very beak and is present only in the youngest birds (less than half a year);
• drawing over the beak - if it is absent, it means that the parrot suffered the first molt, and its age exceeds six months;
• iris around the eyes - there are at the smallest individuals and expand with age, but completely disappear in the eighth month of life.

However, it will not be enough just to prepare the nest for incubation in a certain period of time - It is necessary to provide pets with comfortable living conditions in which they will have a desire to continue their race.

First of all, of course, you need to purchase a cage that is suitable specifically for wavy parrots. This house has its own characteristics and is not suitable for other varieties of parrots. Many irresponsible owners prefer just beautiful cells, but this is the wrong approach to choosing. Bird dwelling must be safe and functional.

The first thing that catches your eye when choosing is the shape of the cell. The most optimal for wavy parrots is a rectangular shape with a horizontal roof. Due to this, it is convenient to fasten various accessories and attachments on the cage walls.

The second most important parameter is the size. The cage should be quite spacious for the bird. Best of all, if she can fly there. The minimum sizes of “home” for wavy parrots are:

• width - from 30 cm and more;
• height - 40 cm;
• length - not less than 40 cm.

Very often, the owners do not take into account the distance between the bars of the cage, which is a gross violation. It should be from one to one and a half centimeters.. In wider intervals, freedom-loving parrots can crawl and get stuck in them.

The cage door should open and close up and down. In this case, the parrot will not be able to open it on its own, and the owner will not forget to close it.

It is worth paying attention to the internal arrangement of the cell.

1. If there is a grill on the floor, it is better to remove it. Birds love to walk on the floor, and the grilles only impede their movement.
2. Feeders, which are the most important cage equipment, should be open and opaque.
3. The poles in most cases are made of plastic, but because of this, corns appear on the paws of birds, causing them pain. Such devices should be changed to wooden, which can be made by hand.

It is also necessary to observe the conditions of the location of the cell. The place for her should be quiet and calm, without drafts.

Many owners prefer to place their feathered pets on refrigerators, from where they can see the whole kitchen. But vibrations and noise of the working equipment can harm the bird. Another serious mistake is the newspaper, which often lay on the bottom of the cell. Printing ink has a negative effect on the health of the parrot.

The second kind of parrots are lovebirds. They are simply made to give birth. Since in their size these birds are not very different from wavy parrots, they are suitable for cells with similar parameters. But if a person started a large bird, for example, such as Karelia, then its dwelling should be appropriate. Minimum sizes should be:

• width - from 40 cm;
• length - from 50 cm;
• height - from 60 cm.

If a sweet pair of parrots lives happily and in abundance, then you can think about their offspring. The chance for a female to lay eggs in a simple cage is extremely low. For this reason, she will need a nest.

The first option is a cardboard nesting home. It does not require any special materials and great effort. This nest is made from a conventional cardboard box, in which it suffices to make a hole with a knife or scissors.

Then you need to properly place it. The nest can be placed on the floor of the cell itself, if there is enough space. However, experts in this case believe that the female needs more free space, therefore A cardboard slot can be placed near the cage or mounted on the roof, if it is horizontal.

But the cardboard slot has plenty of disadvantages. First, the material is not very convenient for parrots, since it is difficult to navigate through it. Secondly, the birds will constantly peck or chew cardboard, which can harm their digestive system. Thirdly, cardboard is not a very strong material, and the nest from it will fit only for one incubation period.

More durable and quality material is plywood. Plywood nesting house is the second option. It can always be purchased at the pet store. However, finding a nest with sizes suitable for large birds, such as Karelians, will not be easy.

The best but the most time consuming option is, because for birds it represents conditions close to wild. You can make it from a natural log or stump. But it will be very difficult to find a suitable part of the tree with a rotten inside. So you have to spend time and energy to remove the middle yourself.

You will need a suitable sized cardboard box, as well as scissors or a knife. If the box is not at hand, you can use separate pieces of cardboard.Then you need to find the necessary drawing on the Internet on specialized resources, transfer it to cardboard sheets, then cut out the pieces and fasten them together.

With a plywood house will be more difficult. The following materials and tools will be required:

• several sheets of plywood;
• self-tapping screws;
• hinges;
• drill;
• circular drill.

If you want to fix the nest on the cage, you also need iron corners. Even if a ready-made plywood box was purchased at a pet store, fasteners are rarely included, or they will be incompatible with the cage. In any case, suitable corners can be found in the hardware store.

Those who have ventured to make a tree house will have to work hard. The first difficulty is finding the right base. If there are no pruning on the summer cottage, you will have to go to the forest. Experienced craftsmen advise you to choose an aspen for this cause, because it often rot in the middle, but the thick layer of wood under the bark remains intact. From the tools you will need:

• chisel;
• drill;
• wood crowns;
• self-tapping screws.

First of all, it is necessary to determine the shape of the house and its size. A rectangular box can be vertical, horizontal or combined.

The horizontal shape reduces the risk that the female will damage the eggs when entering or leaving, but the chicks will be able to leave the nest ahead of time. With the vertical house is the opposite situation. For this reason The best option is considered the combined form.

The nest should have the following parameters (for small individuals):

• width - 17 cm;
• length - 25 cm;
• height - 25 cm;
• entrance diameter - 5 cm;
• wall thickness - 2 cm;
• floor thickness - 3 cm.

Below is a step by step build.

1. First of all, you need to make a drawing and transfer it to a sheet of plywood.
2. Then you need to cut out all the parts of the future house.
3. Several holes with a diameter of 1 cm should be made in the side walls, so that enough air can flow in.
4. After that it is necessary to connect all parts, except the roof, with screws.
5. Place the perch inside. It is recommended to place the threshold under it, so that the female can more accurately go down to the laying.
6. Disinfect the nest and dry.
7. Place the house in the desired place and place a roof on it.

Make it at home will be a little more difficult. For convenient work you will need a workbench. The necessary stump of a tree should have a length of 25 to 45 cm. It is worth paying attention to the following fact: the middle of the workpiece can be rotten, but this bark should not be.

We divide the assembly into several steps, as in the previous case.

1. Clean the bark of the trunk and dry it.
2. Clean out the rotten middle with a chisel and a hammer, leaving 2 cm of wall thickness.
3. Drill the entrance with a drill with a crown on the tree.
4. Secure the bottom with screws. Any piece of wood or plywood will do. Speakers angles worth cutting.
5. Disinfect the nest and dry.
6. Install the roof on the same principle as the floor.

Below are a few tips on nest care and maintenance:

• it is best to lay dried sawdust of any trees on the floor, except for conifers;
• It is necessary to choose large sawdust, so they do not hurt the parrots legs;
• add one teaspoon of pharmaceutical chamomile to sawdust to scare off parasites;
• before hatching chicks, maintain the average humidity of the nest with a plant sprayer;
• during incubation, it is necessary to clean the nest from the shell once and change sawdust;
• When the brood leaves the nest, the house needs to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized again.

See the next video for instructions on making a budgerigar nest.