What to use for nesting material -- rosellas

[D or J Lana-Sarrate]

My birds seem to be wanting to breed and I would like to provide them
with some nesting material. I have built them a nesting box which
they are already using but anything I put in usually ends up on the
bottom of the cage. What would be best.

D

[Mike Owen]

I assume you have Rosellas from your subject line. Many rosella pairs will
throw out the nesting material you provide in a nesting box. Not much you can
do about it, but it is important to make sure that the bottom of the box is
rough and uneven so that if no material is left in the box any babies will not
develop splayed legs. Putting a series of shallow power saw cuts, say 2-3 mm
deep, and not more than 10 mm (about 3/8th's inch) apart on the bottom will be a
good way of doing this. Some breeders also put a concave in the bottom to keep
the eggs in one place, similar to a budgie box. For the record, most breeders
here would use a peat/sawdust mix, although many have their own "secret" recipe
for nesting material.

--
Cheers, Mike Owen, Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia.
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