how can i tell

[raccul]

thank you so much huntress and birdlady i really appriciate it so much i have taken the box out and put in a bird bath for them my shed is coming in 6 more days i ordered a 6 foot high by 4 foot wide by 7 foot long for the 2 of them is that ok
the man (19)that i bought them off was moving out of his mothers house into his girlfriends appartment and couldnt bring his avairy and his mother and father didnt want them so he was selling the contents of the avairy
can you give me an idea of how to do the inside as i have now heard they like to peck wood and i have to wire the shed

[birdlady49]

My easterns are not wood chippers. But I offer them, as well as the other birds in that flight (cockatiels, ringneck doves) plenty of toys they can destroy.

You can expect the pair to chew on the entry hole of the nestbox (assuming it's made of wood) but, beyond that, probably nothing else.

Make sure the wire you are using has been washed with vinegar and air-dried before you put the birds inside. This will eliminate some, if not most, of the problems with new wire. The size of the flight you are giving them is wonderful! You might even consider adding TWO nestboxes -- one on each side of the flight -- so they can decide which they like best.

[huntress]

They dont really "Peck" wood per say like a woodpecker would. They cannot just peck a hole and get out but they will chew on corners and edges and stuff. They could chew a hole thru where a hole is already started. You may want to consider building a very large Cage within the shed. That way they cannot get to the wood and you could install much needed lighting above it. You could also then get in to do maintenance without opening the cage and letting them out then close the shed door behind you before opening the cage. Are you building an outdoor flight with it?

[raccul]

the man gave me a bird nest with them that they used it before so i was going to just use that because their scent is on it
my hubby was going to put a wire box inside the shed that you can walk in and shut behind you before you actually open the bird side does that make sense like a bank you have to close one door to open the other there is a window in the shed will i need lighting aswell
i never thought about an outdoor flight maybe i will experiment in the summer

[huntress]

That is exactly what I was thinking/ meaning. I wouldn't put a wire nestbox in though. People here buy stainless or plastic if they dont want them chewed but its is a parrots natural instinct to chew esp around the opening of their nest hole. Its natural instinctive behavior that I believe we shouldn't prevent. It could cause them not to want to nest at all. Some birds will ONLY nest in wood boxes.

[raccul]

the nest box is wooden lol with a lift up lid you can see it in the pic the female is standing on it

[birdlady49]

Maybe I'm getting old (well, I am) but it was hard to tell that the "female" was perching on a nestbox. I thought it was a platform.

Be that as it may, is that the box that the previous owner used for the "pair?" If so, they're already used to it and probably made their chewing marks on it already.....