How to Make a Homemade Bird Nest for a Cockatiel
- 1). Tape all of the flaps on the box securely closed with packing or duct tape.
- 2). Ask a helper to hold one of the taped ends of the box up to the side of the cage where the nesting door is located. Reach into the cage and measure and mark off a 3 inch by 3 inch square area with a pencil. This will serve as the entrance for the cockatiels from the cage to the nesting box.
- 3). Cut the marked 3 inch by 3 inch opening in the cardboard box with a utility knife and throw away the cut out piece of cardboard.
- 4). Measure and mark a square in the middle of one of the sides of the box. Make it an appropriate size that will allow you to reach in and change out substrate and perform other tasks as needed.
- 5). Cut three sides of the square open with the utility knife and leave the other side attached to create a flap for the doorway. Put one small piece of duct tape on the open side of the door, across from the attached side, to hold the door closed.
- 6). Use the end of a screwdriver to make two holes, about 1 inch apart in horizontal fashion, on each corner of the end surface of the box where the nesting hole entrance is located.
- 7). Open the side of the nesting box, reach in and push both ends of a zip tie into each pair of holes. Ask a helper to hold the end of the nesting box up to the nesting door of the cage, so that the opening on the box lines up with the nesting door. Reach inside of the cage and attach each zip tie to one or two bars on the cage to hold the box in place.
- 8). Open the side access door and place 2 inches of pine shavings with low dust content in the bottom of the box as nesting material for your birds.
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