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ADVANCED NEST-BOXES:
A standard nest-box with a single compartment is fine for the early staged of the rearing. It fulfills all the requirements of the hen and offspring - warmth security and protection from the elements. However, later on when the chicks are that much bigger, they are not so suitable. The nest must be cleaned out at least once with the attendant disturbance to the "household". Failure to do this will not only subject the clutch to an unhygienic environment but could also lead to foot damage. The droppings could harden around the claws and prevent proper growth. The chicks will also be forced to grow up in very close proximity to its siblings which isn't ideal. Although gregarious, budgies are very independent creatures and this starts in the box. A two compartment nest solves all these problems. These can take various sizes and shapes and as far as I'm aware are not available commercially.
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to facilities the nests themselves are easy to construct. All the floors are made of plywood and rest on tacks driven into the walls of the cabinet. Heating and lighting is provided and in two of the nests a water trough is fitted. The lighting is essential whereas the other facilities optional and are provided to give the hens more freedom during winter breeding. Different layouts were tried in order to assess the pros and cons of each design.
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Arrange paving stone bricks an a sheet of hardboard or plywood such that the two rooms are formed. A wall is formed by placing one brick flat and another on it's edge on top of it. It's convenient to make the size of the bed the same as the paving stones. With 5cm x 10cm x 20cm bricks the interior height of the nest will be 15cm. Clamp boards to the front and back using 6mm threaded rods. A hinged roof can be fitted to the back board. Larger house bricks can also be used to give the birds more space. .................................................................................................................................................................
education or when a problem is suspected. .................................................................................................................................................................
A multi-compartment nest offers considerable advantages over standard nest-boxes, but special care must be taken in it's design. The safest approach is to make the "REARING ROOM" as close as possible to a standard nest box. Escape from this nursery compartment should only be possible for the hen and her older chicks. This can be arranged by making the walls 5 or 6cm high. or cutting the entrance hole at this height. Check for any gaps between the bed and the walls of the nursery. If the fit isn't good either re-make the bed or fill with sawdust.
The habitat of birds and other wild creatures has been diminishing for centuries. 800 Hectares of greenbelt a year succumb to concrete each year in Britain and one and a half acres of Rainforest are lost every second world wide. Oxygen producing leaves also absorb carbon dioxide and represent the most ecological way of combating global warming. This trend needs to be reversed as the present state is not sustainable. The individual can help by simply planting a tree - in the garden - in the park - on common land. When the balance is restored we will again be able to look forward to the future.
NATIONAL PARK EXTENDED
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/fracking/10464709/Boomtown-USA-how-fracking-jumpstarted-Williston.html
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