Urgent Question About Nest Boxes

[obionee]

Question: do nest boxes have to be all at the same level in an aviary?

Any advise would really help - I'm a new keeper (see my other post) and learning as quickly as I can - but LOVE has broken out and I need to move quickly, given the amount of effort they are putting in....... 

Please help!!!!!

[obionee]

Jul 1, 2021 12:21:53 GMT obionee said:

Question: do nest boxes have to be all at the same level in an aviary?

Any advise would really help - I'm a new keeper (see my other post) and learning as quickly as I can - but LOVE has broken out and I need to move quickly, given the amount of effort they are putting in....... 

Please help!!!!!

I now know they all need to be at the same level

[Hezz]

Yes, they should be, but breeding multiple couples in an aviary situation is not the best way to go. You often end up with non-breeding hens destroying other hens’ eggs or killing the chicks if they get to hatch. You would be better advised to keep each breeding pair in their own separate cage to ensure the safety of any chicks produced. If you do decide you are still going to colony breed, then make sure you have more nest boxes than there are hens.

Do some research into the dangers of colony breeding before you decide to add any nest boxes.

[obionee]

Jul 1, 2021 21:37:47 GMT Hezz said:

Yes, they should be, but breeding multiple couples in an aviary situation is not the best way to go. You often end up with non-breeding hens destroying other hens’ eggs or killing the chicks if they get to hatch. You would be better advised to keep each breeding pair in their own separate cage to ensure the safety of any chicks produced. If you do decide you are still going to colony breed, then make sure you have more nest boxes than there are hens.

Do some research into the dangers of colony breeding before you decide to add any nest boxes.

Thanks for the advice - I have been reading constantly for the last day and have ordered double the amount of boxes Vs pairs of birds we have.