How to Build a Nest for Parakeets

A pet parakeet will live most of its life in a cage in your home. Make that life happier by making a comfortable nesting box for your bird to sit in, perch in, rest in, play in and lay eggs in while its in the cage. You can make a nesting box using thin wood scraps and wood glue. Be resourceful. Don't use paper or cardboard as a substitute for wood; parakeets will chew through them both.

Things You'll Need

  • Thin wood sheets (0.6 to 0.8 inches)
  • Measuring tape
  • Saw
  • Wood carving tools
  • Wood glue
  • Wood clamps
  • Wood peg
  • Guinea-pig wood shavings
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure and saw 6 20-inch squares of wood.

    • 2

      Carve a dent in the bottom of one of the squares using wood carving tools. You want to create an indentation for the eggs to rest on in the bottom of the box in case the bird knocks them around.

    • 3

      Saw a circle just big enough for the parakeet to fit through in one of the another boards. The board with the hole will be a side panel.

    • 4

      Assemble the box by lining the sides and joints with wood glue. Don't glue the top on the box; you want to be able to remove it. Place clamps on each side to hold the box together as it dries.

    • 5

      Glue a peg on the inside of the box below the circle so that the parakeet can perch on it.

    • 6

      Allow the box to dry completely. Fill the bottom with guinea-pig wood shavings. Smaller shavings can hurt the bird by getting into its nostrils.