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WHY CAN YOU USE A GRANDFATHER BOX FOR A PAIR OF HAHNS WOULD A SQUARE BOX BE BETTER WHAT IS THE DIFFRENCE THANKS FOR ALL INFO

First of all you are asking for an opinion about a drop or boot box in relation to a Hahn’s Macaw, which both are not used!

They may be fine for other species but not Macaws!

The so called grandfather box is actually called a drop box because it makes the adults either jump or drops unto the eggs from the entrance or climb down that stupid ladder type thing that is constructed. Let me tell you by experience the birds don't climb down they jump! Possible things that might occur is broken eggs and or killed babies when they land. Next thing is that the material use for the ladder is galvanized and is poisonous to the birds. These types of ladders account for severed toes and blood tainted with zinc that eventually leads to death.

To understand what style of box should be used is to understand the species itself. Some species will not breed when they can see or are disturbed by outside noises or influences, while others are busy bodies and have to see what is going on under all circumstances. Macaws fall into the last group, and have to keep an eye out for everything! Boots and drops are fine for CAGs and others but I wouldn't use for Mini macaws at all.

Next is the construction material itself, where some use metal and others use wood. I have followed the construction techniques handed down by great grandfather and have not altered its basic principle since then.

1) I use wood, and when picking out the wood, I avoid glues and other laminates that are caustic (acidic or poisonous) when eaten-absorbed or inhaled. You see plywood is actually a laminate of several layers of wood veneers glued together. Birds eat and digest the wood and this will kill or lame your bird. I use only solid wood and the type of which is non-caustic.

2) Wood helps absorb and allow moisture to humidify the brooder when the eggs are laid and hatched. Your birds will actually manipulate the humidity in there by using their breath (exhaust from breathing is the humidity they control) to a level at or around 50%. You'll notice frequent trips to the water bowl or bottle and then heavy breathing in order to stabilize the conditions necessary in the nest box. In other words it's God's perfect humidifier. Metal boxes make this conditioning very hard on the birds.

3) After the cycle I remove the box and clean and sanitize the wood by using a product like Brenisea.

In summary: So taking everything into consideration you have certain choices to make in regards to your Hahn’s. I decided to answer you in this forum because I am making the distinction between "other species" and a macaw. You see the other posters in the other forum you made a post to in regards to this question are giving you general bird information not specialized to a Macaw or in terms of other species which they raise. I am not going to chase you all over up @ six and answer in every forum you post when the topic is a macaw! They are different and when applied other techniques not specialized to a macaw is when people get into trouble.

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Dutch

SO WITH ALL THAT SAID AND DONE YOU WOULD USE A SQUARE BOX MADE OUT OF WOOD RIGHT ALL MAY BOXES ARE OUT OF WOOD I NEVER USE METAL WHAT KINDA WOOD DO YOU USE DO YOU BREED HAHNS IF SO WHAT IS YOUR SET UP LIKE THANKS FOR THE INFO

18" square the length of the cage off set on one side with the entrance hole, so in other words it looks like a coffin with the hole on one side.

Yes I breed them about 20 years ago with several other species of mini macaw. I haven't revisited this species because I have concentrated on the three large macaws (Greenwing, Scarlet, and B&G) although I am currently looking for Red Front and Blue Headed Macaw pairs.

As for the wood I use solid wood (as is the type for shelves) like I mentioned above, not the plywood or laminated wood.