Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[cordelia]

Hello all, only had my cube a few days, and that's after 5 years of eglu classic owning..

 

My new problem is that the girls have emptied out most of their next material, wood shaving, onto the lawn below. I had line d it with newspaper because of the large air hole, but has anyone any suggestions?

 

I previously had my eglu classic n a permanent wood chip base, but I want to move the cube around the garden

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[chri1143]

Duct tape

[cordelia]

Really?lol never thought of that....shouldnt it have a bit of ventilation, yes I guess small holes in tape...

[The Dogmother]

The Boy made me a plastic cover (removable) out of a milk carton and a couple of bolts; it sits nicely in the gap and can be removed for cleaning.

[UKMARCH]

I use some flexible chopping mats with aubiose on top. The really thin flexible ones can be cut to shape and easily cleaned and dried. I did see on here once someone used two washing up bowls but I have been unable to find any small enough to fit in mine as I have a wooden divider to make two nest boxes.

[The Dogmother]

Try to avoid using cardboard or paper folks; a friend once lined their cube nest with corrugated card and it was hooching with mites

[Plum]

Duct tape is ideal, no holes needed

Edited September 25, 2013 by Guest

[mcfee2]

I chopped up one of the cheap plastic table mats from ikea and it sits over the hole to stop everything falling through - and it just gets washed every time I wash up the cube.

 

I did wonder if that's what makes the nest box so cosy that they insist on sleeping in there though. might try without and see what happens.

 

Could you tape a litter tray to the underside to catch the bits as they fall through?

[Purplemaniacs]

I cover the hole too, I use a piece of plastic roofing sheet left over from the WIR and clean it each time I clean the cube.

 

I found that with the eglu the bedding managed to stay in the nest but the cube the hole is much larger and it falls through.

 

Chrissie

[Miss Millies Chicken]

I use a piece of hard rubber foam cut from from a garden kneeling mat. If you cut it a fraction longer than the slot than it can be wedged into the hole and it will lie flush.