Key Points for Choosing, Setting Up and Using a Budgerigar Breeding Box

A budgerigar breeding box is a nest box designed specifically for paired budgerigars to breed. It is usually hung outside the cage or fixed inside it, providing the parent birds with a place to lay eggs, incubate and raise their chicks. With a relatively quiet, dim, enclosed space, the parent birds settle down more easily and enter breeding condition, and it also helps keep the eggs and chicks warm.

Breeding boxes are mostly made from unpainted, odourless woods such as pine and fir, and come in two common structures: horizontal and vertical. A round entrance hole is cut in the front of the box, often with a perch beside it, and an inspection door is set in the side or top for easy observation and cleaning. The bottom inside is usually shaped into a recessed nesting hollow, which keeps the eggs from rolling around and makes it easier for the parent birds to sit and incubate.

When choosing, the basic standard is that the hen can turn around freely inside the box with her tail feathers not touching the walls, and the wood must not have a pungent smell. The box should be placed away from direct sunlight and draughts, and the surroundings kept as quiet as possible. A small amount of dry wood shavings can be spread on the floor of the box, and during the breeding season be sure to supplement calcium and provide fresh green feed.

While in use, do not open the box and look inside frequently, so the parent birds are not startled into abandoning the nest. If the parent birds stay out of the box for a long time, peck at the box or abandon their chicks, it is usually related to environmental disturbance, lighting or nutrition; check these factors first before making adjustments. After breeding is finished, clean and disinfect the box promptly, let it dry thoroughly and store it properly for future use.