# When Can I Clean Nest Box?



## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Chauncey and Clyde have been sitting on their dummy/wooden eggs for 21 days now. This morning, I noticed the vocalizing and mating behaviors starting up again. But Chauncey is still sitting on her eggs in the nest box. She did spend a few extra minutes off the nest today -- more than she has in the last three weeks. 

When is it okay for me to remove the dummy eggs and clean out the nest box? Will they completely abandon the box for a while? Will it be obvious?

Once they're ready I'd love to give it a good cleaning, including removing it from the cage for a while to do so. And I want to make sure I do this before they start sitting on eggs again.

Suggestions appreciated. Thanks!


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Yes, by all means, you can clean the area now. Pigeons do actually appreciate clean living areas. I would return the dummy eggs after cleaning them and put them back and _see _how they react. They may be frustrated because there has been no hatchings and may just abandon the dummy eggs and try to "birth" again.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Victor said:


> Yes, by all means, you can clean the area now. Pigeons do actually appreciate clean living areas. I would return the dummy eggs after cleaning them and put them back and _see _how they react. They may be frustrated because there has been no hatchings and may just abandon the dummy eggs and try to "birth" again.


I'd do as Victor said.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Okay, so even though Chauncey still sits on the eggs . . . remove the nest box and do a big cleaning? 

This is my first nesting cycle with a pair of pigeons. When do I remove the wooden eggs?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

valeri said:


> Okay, so even though Chauncey still sits on the eggs . . . remove the nest box and do a big cleaning?
> 
> This is my first nesting cycle with a pair of pigeons. When do I remove the wooden eggs?


I usually wait until they are more out and about, and not bothering to sit on the eggs anymore. Some will sit longer, and a few will have their eggs right alongside the two fake ones. Sneaky! So if you don't clean it now, they could end up having two eggs in the nest with the 2 fake ones, then you'll be wondering how you're going to clean it now. LOL. This will get to be old hat after a while.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

I'd say it's okay to clean now. Sometimes one bird will set a few days longer than the other - it varies with the pair whether it's the hen or cock. Rarely, a hen will be slow to come off the eggs because she isn't feeling well. I usually wait till the eggs are cold because neither bird is spending much time on them.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

*Disposable Nesting Box Okay?*

Thanks you guys. I ended up cleaning the box today. They were both spending most of the morning off the eggs. Clyde is completely done. Chauncey kept checking in. But the eggs were just sitting there for long periods.

I realized I should have had a backup. The box was so dirty, I had to scrub it in the bathtub. It's wood . . . so it's drying. And it's cold and rainy here, so it won't dry quickly.

I wish there was a way to clean it while they were nesting since it's important for us in this small space (and allergies) to keep the dust and dried poop to a minimum.

I quickly constructed a makeshift nest box from cardboard, filled it with the same soft fleece, etc. Clyde likes it, not sure if Chauncey is buying it yet.

I think I may try to find cardboard boxes that resemble our wooden nest box in size. That way, I can toss them at the end of the nesting cycle and just replace with a brand new, identical box. In our apartment setting, that might be more practical.

Can you think of any downside to a disposable nesting box? Do they become attached to a certain box? Or just the location and setup within the box?

And . . . does anyone here have a great, miracle setup indoors that allows you to clean out the nest a bit without disturbing the occupants?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

valeri said:


> Thanks you guys. I ended up cleaning the box today. They were both spending most of the morning off the eggs. Clyde is completely done. Chauncey kept checking in. But the eggs were just sitting there for long periods.
> 
> I realized I should have had a backup. The box was so dirty, I had to scrub it in the bathtub. It's wood . . . so it's drying. And it's cold and rainy here, so it won't dry quickly.
> 
> ...


You could buy two nest bowls, and that way you can take one and replace with the other. Just make sure they are exactly the same bowl. And some people buy the disposable nest bowls, then you can just swap it out and throw it away. Either way is easy.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

What I've got is a wooden nesting box I bought at the feed store. Unfortunately, the feed store is closed today and I didn't think this through before I removed the box and cleaned it. It's still wet. I could pick up another nesting box tomorrow. It's about $30. I couldn't afford to spring for two at the time I bought the first one. In the meantime, I've got that crappy, makeshift box in its place. This is a photo of the original box.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Okay. I went to your page and checked out the nest box. Cute, but $30?
You probably could have used a nest bowl, or maybe pick up a couple of plastic boxes, cut out a little door in the middle of what would be the front. Easy to clean, and they wipe dry. That thin wood is going to warp and not last very well if you keep soaking it. I wouldn't spend $30 on another one. When I need a nest box or bowl in a cage, I use a plastic box. They're great as they come in so many different sizes. And only cost probably 2 or 3 dollars. It doesn't need to have a roof. You have a blanket over the top of the cage. Cozy enough. Just buy 2 or 3 identical plastic boxes. I put newspaper on the bottom, then add the straw and stuff. That rubber shelving stuff that comes on a roll is great under the straw. The floor of the plastic box isn't slippery for the baby, but you're not breeding, so just put newspaper on the bottom of the plastic box.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Jay, so . . . I just use one of those plastic organizational boxes (with the front cut out) and they will use it . . . even without the roof? That's good to know. I thought they liked to be tucked in. This was our first nesting cycle and we weren't sure.

_btw: I know I paid too much for that box. We were so unprepared for our situation, leaving on a trip, I had to scramble to find a nest box for this newly mated pair, and didn't have much idea of how they would use it or what we would need._


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

In a loft, they would be in a nest box, In your house, their cage IS like a large nest box. I see that you now cover the top. Well, that is a roof. And you now have the cloth on a couple of sides. Very cozy. It's just like a big nest box. The plastic box would be like a nest bowl. There you go! And it would be comfortable for them. It's nicer than what they would have to use in the wild. They won't mind at all. The covers on their cage will give them privacy and make them feel "closed in" enough. So easy to clean and dry. And CHEAP! But you can clean and disinfect plastic. Wood......not really. So much better and easier. It's what I use, and no ones ever complained. LOL. The sides will make them feel secure. They'll like it just fine.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks so much, Jay. Do you know the dimensions of the plastic boxes you use?

(They're starting to use the cardboard I put in there, but haven't laid any eggs. Just getting into their next mating cycle. Okay to switch out the box before the eggs come? I guess they'll let me know how they feel about it.)


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The size of the box you were using is good. Or something near that. Look for a nice fairly sturdy one. There are so many different plastic boxes out there. You have so many choices. Believe me, you'll love it. You can even use a nest bowl, but the boxes work fine. Believe me, they're not as fussy as you think. We are the ones that make it complicated, by over thinking it. LOL.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Oh, I forgot to answer about the size I use. I use different sizes. If I have to bring a baby inside to hand raise, for some reason, I start with a small one, then change to the larger one after they have grown some. It's now an exact science. Your instincts will help you. And yes, you can change to the plastic one, before the eggs come would be best.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Wood takes a long time to dry if you clean it with water - better to just scrape it off. Cardboard boxes would work fine for your situation, use once and compost/trash. Right after they come off the nest is the best time to switch. You usually have a window of 7-10 days, depending on the pair. Generally the hen will adjust within several days. 

Single nest boxes are usually either 12" x 12" or 15" x 15", depending on the size of the bird. They like cozy but with enough room for their body and tail. Location and set up are key. If you move the nest box over 3' most birds would abandon the eggs.

Regarding interim cleaning, I use cheap wooden chopsticks to pick the poops from around the nest every morning. The birds seem to feel that is less intrusive than if my hands are closer. You can even use them to gently raise the hen to check for eggs.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

TerriB said:


> Wood takes a long time to dry if you clean it with water - better to just scrape it off. Cardboard boxes would work fine for your situation, use once and compost/trash. Right after they come off the nest is the best time to switch. You usually have a window of 7-10 days, depending on the pair. Generally the hen will adjust within several days.
> 
> Single nest boxes are usually either 12" x 12" or 15" x 15", depending on the size of the bird. They like cozy but with enough room for their body and tail. Location and set up are key. If you move the nest box over 3' most birds would abandon the eggs.
> 
> Regarding interim cleaning, I use cheap wooden chopsticks to pick the poops from around the nest every morning. The birds seem to feel that is less intrusive than if my hands are closer. You can even use them to gently raise the hen to check for eggs.


The nest box is inside a large cage that they live in, so they don't really need a nest box, just a nest bowl or small box to nest in. The cage serves as a nest box.


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## pattersonk2002 (Jun 1, 2008)

*nest boxes*

I have been trying something new this year, at work we get in supplies that are boxed in 18x18x24 boxes and disgard them after use, I decided to cut them in half and using a drywall screw and washer hang them on the wall for the birds to nest (Fake eggs) and when they are done I simply replace it, no washing no scrubbing and completly degradable. Now I have the room to let it pile and rot so for me its not a problem, for those who only have a few I would not think it as a problem to put one in the trash once in a while>kevin


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

So how dirty do you let it get before discarding them? I'd rather have something sturdier that I can clean. I like a clean loft.


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## pattersonk2002 (Jun 1, 2008)

*clean*



Jay3 said:


> So how dirty do you let it get before discarding them? I'd rather have something sturdier that I can clean. I like a clean loft.


I wash the bowl but toss the rest with fresh everthing, does not get any cleaner, no crap on the walls or anything


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks, everyone. So we moved into nesting cycle #2 a bit better, thanks to your advice. We were totally thrown the first time around since we didn't realize our two would mate and lay eggs so quickly.

I decided on a cardboard box -- because I realized the box needed a roof, sitting under the perching shelf as it does. The box is very close in dimension to the original wooden box, and I can just throw it away/compost it when we're done with this cycle.

Clyde loved it right away. Chauncey was a bit leery at first and I kept having to dissuade them from nesting elsewhere in the room (since they have to be in the cage at night).

But Clyde built one hell of a nest with all of the foraging materials and they've picked that location again, in the cardboard box. I have a few ideas of how to improve the scene next time, with the new box.

We discovered that Clyde's favorite nesting material (for now) is the wooden coffee stick you find at coffee houses. I was thinking of trying wooden skewers (with the pointy tips cut off) but haven't found them yet. Also loves thin strips of carboard cut from the sides of boxes -- better than hay. 

We're still struggling with how to make this work since our situation won't be tenable long term. We've actually been thinking of leaving California and moving north, just to be able to afford to accommodate the pigeons. That sounds ludicrous, I know, but we feel a little stressed about our limited possibilities at this moment. Hopefully, we'll be able to convince just one friend to foster them in their yard for a while, until we can get into a better situation. But no one's taken our bait so far (lol). Even if we move, though, where on earth can you find a rental where the landlord will let you build an aviary in the yard? Or I should say, where can you find a "nice" rental, in good shape -- where an aviary would be welcome.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The plastic boxes that you would be able to wash, also have covers. They would be cleaner as you could switch them out during the nesting cycle.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

valeri said:


> ...Clyde loved it right away. Chauncey was a bit leery at first and I kept having to dissuade them from nesting elsewhere in the room (since they have to be in the cage at night)....


Sounds like you are really getting the hang of things! You really do an awesome job of observing your birds and adjusting to their preferences.

I've noticed that the hens tend to do some looking around at different options during the courtship phase (after they give up on the previous eggs). Once, Grace scratched out a nice little depression in a flower bowl and spent several hours setting there before laying her egg inside the coop in her nestbox the next day. Sure wish I'd take her picture as she looked so elegant nestled in the wildflowers!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

They're lucky to have someone who cares so much about them.


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2010)

I use a cardboard box for my house pair to nest in. I cut a doorway in one side and keep the nest bowl in there. On top I keep newspaper with a piece of brick or scrap wood to keep the papers from moving and to be used as a perch. I keep papers in the box under the nest bowl as well. If the box gets soiled I just replace it. It works for me.

This is the hen inside the box. 









This is the male. That's actually part of another box on top. I also keep the nest half covered with a towel to give them some privacy and it helps keep any mess from blowing around.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He looks so cute sitting on his nest.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Great ideas, everyone. Thanks for that and for the kind comments, too. We really do love our pigeon kids -- even if they prefer to keep us at a distance. Wish we had a better situation, but we're doing what we can. 

Anyway -- I think I'm doing it wrong by not using my nest bowl. They seem to like to cuddle in the nest together sometimes, and they can't do that together in the nest bowl. I set up the nest box with a fleece on the bottom and they build their own design on top of that. 

But, the downside is, I can't replace the box or clean anything else until the nesting cycle is done. I can only remove poops but that's an imperfect cleaning system. With a nesting bowl, I could move things out from under the bowl.

Here's the setup. Would you put a nest bowl in the next box we create? And -- we have a clay nesting bowl but that seems cold. Do they like that? Are the disposable ones better?

** Note the wooden coffee stir sticks. That became Clive's favorite nesting material during this particular building phase. 










(btw: Jay -- I think I must be thinking of a different type of plastic box, because the ones with lids didn't seem to work in our space. If they're tall enough, they're too big for the cage. I'll go to an organizing store soon to see what else I can find.)

More to consider here . . .

(We've switched a few letters and named him Clive (as in Clive Owen) instead of "Clyde." The way Chauncey-the-Cougar took to Clive, we figured he must have movie star cache in the pigeon world. Ha.)


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

well its hard to beat that nice box... they seem to like it alot...lol...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I took my nest bowls out too. They like to start a second nest, and with the bowl it was kind of crowded, and like yours, they sometimes like to snuggle together. So without the bowls, they have more room. When I want to clean the box, I just take the birds out, clean the whole box and spray it, let it dry, then replace the straw and try to make a nest like what they had. Most don't seem to mind much. The few that would get really upset with me messing with their box, I put in a cage where they can't see what I'm doing. When I get it all back together, I put them back in. Doesn't bother them as much and I can keep the boxes clean. Just try to get it back as they had it. BTW, your nest box is cute.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Jay, are we talking about cleaning it with the [dummy] eggs in it? These guys don't leave the eggs for more than 60 seconds or so. Do you move them with the eggs? I must be interpreting that wrong. The last nesting cycle (my first and their first as a couple), I just picked out the poops I found in there and left it. But it was kind of nasty not cleaning it for three weeks. Especially since I was used to cleaning Chauncey's cage meticulously everyday. 

p.s. Spirit Wings. I know we've had quite a few conversations on these boards, especially ones that pertain to indoor poultry (lol). Doesn't the nest box and it's plush fleece give you a clue about how we got roped into adopting two racing pigeons in our little apartment?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Valeri, just take the birds out, clean the box, put fresh straw back in, make kind of a little nest like what they had. Put the eggs back in. Put the birds back. Just try to get it pretty much like they had it. If the nest is on the right side, put it back together that way.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks, Jay. I'm going to have to rethink my nest box setup. It's kind of tough to remove the fleece and the huge pile of sticks our guy has taken time to build. It's so cute. I've been ruminating on ways I could easily slide out layers as they get dirty. I may come up with something. But in the meantime, thanks so much for the sage advice!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I wouldn't over think it. They can repair what you mess up. None of my birds, except with the exception of one, seems to mind all that much, and at least it's clean. I think your set up is cute. No matter how you fix it, there is no way to clean it without messing up what they have built.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

You have a very nice set up and the birds seem to be liking it. I like your use of the bulldog clip on top. They're one of my favorite building materials.

I just cleaned all the nestboxes today - the feather crumbs were getting too much. I get everything ready, remove the birds, swap the bedding, and let them back in. I use polar fleece throws cut in half but your plush fleece is also nice. 

If they've created a substantial nest that's fairly clean, you may be able to gently pick it up intact and put it on a small box or lid while you swap bedding and then return it. As long as things are basically in the same location, they don't seem to mind.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

So, Terri -- (don't want to be overthinking this, as Jay says) -- but how is your birds' nest set up? That is, can you think of any easy way for me to lift all of that building material and slide out the fleece, replacing it with a clean one? Or, as seems to be the general consensus, just grab the nesting material and toss it on a new fleece? Hope to have this down to a fine-tuned system by our next nesting cycle. 

Oh, and yeah -- the bulldog clip holds kraft paper in place because they like to perch on the box. I stack small pieces of kraft paper and slide them out from the clip as they get dirty.

What do you use the clips for? I'm always seeking innovative design elements for our pij.

_(btw: Watching the two of them bathe together for quite a while the other day gave me more confidence that they can be off the nest for a bit. But that was the first time I'd seen either of them leave the nest for more than 30 seconds. Thanks, guys, for all of the reassurances.)_


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

valeri, its one of those things where, the longer you have them, the better you get at figuring these things out..lol..., I so would'nt know as I only have doves in the house and they do not poop in their nest basket.. you will be an expert before too long...


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

valeri said:


> ...how is your birds' nest set up? That is, can you think of any easy way for me to lift all of that building material and slide out the fleece, replacing it with a clean one? Or, as seems to be the general consensus, just grab the nesting material and toss it on a new fleece?...
> ...
> What do you use the clips for? I'm always seeking innovative design elements for our pij...


Sorry for the delay in response.

What I do is use a flat piece of cardboard about the size of the nest to temporarily support the nest. So remove the birds, use both hands to gently scoop the main bulk of the nest onto the cardboard, swap the fleece for fresh, then gently slide the nest back into place. I hate to waste all their hard work. Mine use long pine needles and the nests tend to be two loose curves like this - ( ) .

I'm currently using a clip to hold back a tarp flap which was blocking the light through the small coop window. This way, Archie and Elsa can sit on their heated pad and watch what's going on in their neighborhood. Nope, not the least bit spoiled!


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