Things You'll Need
- 3/4 inch solid lumber 6" wide and 48" long
- 1 1/4 inch wood screws
- Electric drill with 1/8th bit
- Screw driver or screw bit for electric drill
- Spray can of polyurethane
- 2 1-inch hinges with screws
- Screwdriver for hinge screws
Instructions
Materials
Find a piece of 3/4 inch thick solid wood that is 6 inches wide and 48 inches long.
Purchasing new wood is not necessary for the construction of your breeding box. Old lumber that it is good shape is perfectly O.K.
Your bird breeding box may be constructed from almost any tpe of wood with the exception of particle board.
Cutting your parts
Cut your 48-inch-long board as follows: 1 8-inch piece (roof)1 12-inch piece (back)1 7-inch piece (front)1 piece 6 inches by 4.5 inches (floor)This should leave you with one piece 16 inches long.
Cutting the previous pieces should leave you with one piece 16 inches long. This board will be cut to form the two sides of your breeding box with a 1-inch sloped roof.
Measure down from the top to a point 7 inches on the right hand side of the board and then measure a point 8 inches from the top on the left side of the board. Draw a line connecting the two points. Cut along this line. The two resulting pieces will be the sides of your nesting box with a perfect 1-inch-slope for the roof.
Drilling
Drill a series of 1/8 inch holes in the bottom piece of your nesting box (the piece 6-by-4.5 inches). These holes will allow for drainage as well as air circulation.
Measure to the center point of the front panel (6-by-7 inch piece) from both the top as well as the side. This will give you the exact center of your front panel.
Drill a 2-inch-round hole in the center of the front piece (6-by-7 inches). Sand the edges so the hole is smooth.
Assembly
Attach the two side pieces (the ones with the 1-inch-slope) to the 12-inch back piece by drilling three pilot holes in the back board with your 1/8 drill bit for each side piece. Align the sides so that the highest point of the slope is at the top edge of the back. Use your screwdriver drill bit to tighten the six screws that will hold the side pieces to the back of your nesting box.
Drill pilot holes in the front and secure it in place the same way as you did the two side pieces. Next drill a total of 6 pilot holes in the bottom of your nesting box and secure it to the bottom of your box with screws.
Attach the roof to your box. Using a screwdriver secure the top of your breeding box to the top of the back piece with the hinges so that the top of the box can be easily lifted up for cleaning out the box each year.
SPRAYING
Spray the top and sides of your nesting box (the outside only!) with polyurethane and allow to dry. Do not place felt or any other covering on the roof as this can encourage the growth of mold.At the end of the nesting season the box should be opened and the nesting material removed. Clean the box with a damp cloth and store until the following season. Rehang and watch the process again.
Mount your nesting box high enough off the ground so that it is inaccessible to cats--and wait. Within a few short days you should notice a pair of birds flying in and out of the front hole in the box with nesting material in their beaks. Soon you should be able to hear the tiny chirps of new life from within your nesting box.
At the end of the nesting season the box should be opened and the nesting material removed. Clean the box with a damp cloth and store until the following season. Rehang and watch the process again.