Given the variety of next boxes now available to most people, I have had a number of people ask what the main differences are between wooden and plastic nest boxes. Since I have used both options extensively over the years I thought a chapter on the pros and cons of each might be helpful in making your decision.
Over the past 19 years I have used a number of different materials my our nest boxes. I started out making my own using only wood, pine to be specific, and these worked wonderfully for many years. I then wanted to experiment with plastic in the boxes as well in hopes of making them easier to clean and maintain, so I started making boxes with pine walls and lid, but with a plastic concave to see how the chicks and hens would react. After using these for some time I finally decided to purchasing boxes made completely of plastic.
There are a number of things to consider when deciding what kind of boxes would work best for your breeding set up however, and I will go over some of those here.
Over the past 19 years I have used a number of different materials my our nest boxes. I started out making my own using only wood, pine to be specific, and these worked wonderfully for many years. I then wanted to experiment with plastic in the boxes as well in hopes of making them easier to clean and maintain, so I started making boxes with pine walls and lid, but with a plastic concave to see how the chicks and hens would react. After using these for some time I finally decided to purchasing boxes made completely of plastic.
There are a number of things to consider when deciding what kind of boxes would work best for your breeding set up however, and I will go over some of those here.
The Pros And Cons Of Wood
Things To Consider With This Choice-
Pros of wood-
More natural of a choice. Gives hens the ability to chew
More absorbent
Natural traction from the wood grain
I could never get them clean as I wanted especially in the corners and
floor because it absorbed so much poop that could only really be cleaned
completely by sanding off a layer of the wood
Things To Consider With This Choice-
Pros of wood-
More natural of a choice. Gives hens the ability to chew
More absorbent
Natural traction from the wood grain
I could never get them clean as I wanted especially in the corners and
floor because it absorbed so much poop that could only really be cleaned
completely by sanding off a layer of the wood
After using wood boxes for over 10 years we decided to give plastic a try given the greater variety they had coming out.
When it comes to plastic boxes a great appeal is often the ease they are to clean.
When it comes to plastic boxes a great appeal is often the ease they are to clean.
The Pros And Cons Of Plastic
I started out with all wooden ones made of pine and used them for years, however . So I would end up taking apart the boxes to clean and sand them which has a huge pain in the butt and took forever, and after awhile I started just
using a new box for each round with ended up being expensive and time consuming to make them to boot. Not only was this all time consuming, but cleaning out the boxes while the chicks were in them was a whole other job I dreaded because when the chicks kick the bedding out of the way all of the poop sticks to the bottom... so it would take extra time of scraping and removing all of the dirty bedding.
I had read a number of times about plastic nest boxes and loved the idea of
being able to easily clean them, especially with a liner that could easily be
removed and replaced any time it was needed, however I was very leery of trying
it as there are so many pumped up stories on the internet about how they caused
splayed legs among other things if they are used so I was nervous. So instead of
buying a completely plastic one I decided to experiment with it and try making
one of my own with only the bottom made of plastic since it was the hardest part
to clean every time. I made sure the plastic was very rough and easy to grip,
and I gave it to one of my pairs to see what would happen while having an all
wood one on hand in case I wanted to swap it at any time. I watched how the hen
got in and out of the box compared to an all wooden one to be sure she had
enough grip with it, and I saw no difference at all with her ability to get
around in and out of the box than the hens that were in wooden ones.
When she laid her eggs and the chicks hatched I watched them very closely,
always comparing them to other thicks that were on wooden floors to watch for
any signs of muscle or foot problems that are cause from lack of good traction,
however every chick developed exactly like the chicks in all wooden boxes and
were perfect examples of healthy budgie chicks! :) For the next round I gave all
my hens the plastic bottoms with wooden sides and had all healthy chicks again.
This was enough proof for me to know that the stories online are not only false,
but mostly just and since all of the chicks were perfectly healthy the only
reason I can think of is that people are illogically using smooth plastic, or
they simply do not like the idea of wooden nest boxes, and if that is the case
then I don't understand why they feel the need to scare others off from trying
them. Whatever :rolleyes:
Last year I finally bought all plastic ones, and after looking around for
quite some time I decided to try the hagen vision brand because they fit what I
was looking for personally although I honestly am not at all a fan of Hagen in
general. Are they cockatiel sized nest boxes? No they are not huge nesting
boxes, but I don't like using unnecessarily big ones and there really is no
reason for a extra large nestboxs regardless of the number of chicks because all
the chicks will huddle in one corner together, and once they get to the age
where they are moving around the fledge into the breeding cage. Now that needs
to be as big as possible as they will actually use the space ;)
To me size is not as important from what I have seen in a nest box as good
cleaning habits, if you clean like you should there is no need for an
excessively large nesting box. In fact the ones we use are much larger than most
hens use in the wild. Here is an interested article about the wild breeding
habits of budgies if you have not had a chance to see it yet-
Now I have read that plastic ones are not as good to use in hot humid
climates when you are breeding outside, and that wood is better because it is
more absorbent. I have all of my breeding cages inside in a temperature and
humidity controlled room and have never had a problem in that way, but maybe
someone who breeds outdoors and has used them can give some incite on that.
As you mentioned in the beginning of your thread though, it is true I will
never go back to wooden ones but I am not at all against using them :) I just
prefer personally to be able to clean and disinfect each box whenever I would
like, and even though I have been using them for a year they look the same as
the day i got them and might as well be brand new :) I have 20-25 extra liners
for the 10 boxes so I can remove each one and replace it quickly. I then put
each used liner in a disinfecting solution before washing them and letting them
air dry before they are needed next time.
I have had 57 chicks hatched and raised in these boxes so far, if nothing
else I think they are a testament to how well plastic nest boxes can work when
they are used properly :)
Sorry this is so long, but you said you wanted to talk about our nest box
experiences so you kind of invited it with me :laughing:
I had read a number of times about plastic nest boxes and loved the idea of
being able to easily clean them, especially with a liner that could easily be
removed and replaced any time it was needed, however I was very leery of trying
it as there are so many pumped up stories on the internet about how they caused
splayed legs among other things if they are used so I was nervous. So instead of
buying a completely plastic one I decided to experiment with it and try making
one of my own with only the bottom made of plastic since it was the hardest part
to clean every time. I made sure the plastic was very rough and easy to grip,
and I gave it to one of my pairs to see what would happen while having an all
wood one on hand in case I wanted to swap it at any time. I watched how the hen
got in and out of the box compared to an all wooden one to be sure she had
enough grip with it, and I saw no difference at all with her ability to get
around in and out of the box than the hens that were in wooden ones.
When she laid her eggs and the chicks hatched I watched them very closely,
always comparing them to other thicks that were on wooden floors to watch for
any signs of muscle or foot problems that are cause from lack of good traction,
however every chick developed exactly like the chicks in all wooden boxes and
were perfect examples of healthy budgie chicks! :) For the next round I gave all
my hens the plastic bottoms with wooden sides and had all healthy chicks again.
This was enough proof for me to know that the stories online are not only false,
but mostly just and since all of the chicks were perfectly healthy the only
reason I can think of is that people are illogically using smooth plastic, or
they simply do not like the idea of wooden nest boxes, and if that is the case
then I don't understand why they feel the need to scare others off from trying
them. Whatever :rolleyes:
Last year I finally bought all plastic ones, and after looking around for
quite some time I decided to try the hagen vision brand because they fit what I
was looking for personally although I honestly am not at all a fan of Hagen in
general. Are they cockatiel sized nest boxes? No they are not huge nesting
boxes, but I don't like using unnecessarily big ones and there really is no
reason for a extra large nestboxs regardless of the number of chicks because all
the chicks will huddle in one corner together, and once they get to the age
where they are moving around the fledge into the breeding cage. Now that needs
to be as big as possible as they will actually use the space ;)
To me size is not as important from what I have seen in a nest box as good
cleaning habits, if you clean like you should there is no need for an
excessively large nesting box. In fact the ones we use are much larger than most
hens use in the wild. Here is an interested article about the wild breeding
habits of budgies if you have not had a chance to see it yet-
Now I have read that plastic ones are not as good to use in hot humid
climates when you are breeding outside, and that wood is better because it is
more absorbent. I have all of my breeding cages inside in a temperature and
humidity controlled room and have never had a problem in that way, but maybe
someone who breeds outdoors and has used them can give some incite on that.
As you mentioned in the beginning of your thread though, it is true I will
never go back to wooden ones but I am not at all against using them :) I just
prefer personally to be able to clean and disinfect each box whenever I would
like, and even though I have been using them for a year they look the same as
the day i got them and might as well be brand new :) I have 20-25 extra liners
for the 10 boxes so I can remove each one and replace it quickly. I then put
each used liner in a disinfecting solution before washing them and letting them
air dry before they are needed next time.
I have had 57 chicks hatched and raised in these boxes so far, if nothing
else I think they are a testament to how well plastic nest boxes can work when
they are used properly :)
Sorry this is so long, but you said you wanted to talk about our nest box
experiences so you kind of invited it with me :laughing: