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What is so different and special about the Slippin' Silo nest box design?
- Why does the Slippin' Silo
cost so much?
- How does the Slippin' Silo
work?
- Where can I find construction
specifications to build my own silo?
- How did you come up with
this idea?
What is so different and special about the Slippin' Silo nest box design?
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Woodpeckers will not enlarge the entrance hole.
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Some data suggests that house sparrows are reluctant
to nest in PVC nest boxes.
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It is very durable and long lasting; only the
wooden part (mounting adapter) will rot or decay and is easy to replace.
There are no screws or nails through the top surface that could corrode or
leak.
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Its simple design & appearance suggest to the average
observer that this bird box does not open, therefore mildly discouraging
attempts to vandalize.
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It mounts easily to a flat surface or to a round
post.
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Inside temperature comparison between wooden and silo
boxes (painted white) in late summer 2001 suggests that silo temperatures
average about 2.5 - 3 degrees less than conventional wood boxes.
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An insulating/cooling feature is the air space
between the inner silo wall and the nest-insert.
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Nestlings and/or eggs can be removed to deal with
insect pests.
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Advantages of the nest-insert design:
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The insert can be removed and replaced for nest
checks quickly, without any tools.
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The silo can be mounted higher than conventional
boxes, but short landlords still have easy inspection access. A higher
mounting offers more “predator guard space” and a greater distance for a
climbing predator to travel to reach the nest cavity.
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Short landlords do not need to carry a step
stool/ladder when conducting nest checks.
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This design makes the task of showing nest contents to children
much easier; one does not have to lift a class of first graders
(individually) up to look into the box to see the eggs or nestlings.
Simply remove the nest-insert and take it down to the children’s eye
level.
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Nestlings can be examined at older ages, close to
fledging by using proper technique. Cover the entrance hole with
vent/entrance cover and use one hand to lower nest-insert far enough to
slide a piece of hardware cloth over the nest cavity to prevent
nestlings from getting out. Then completely remove the nest-insert from
silo for easy observation.
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To rid the nest-insert of parasites or disease,
simply fashion a nest in a clean nest-insert and move the eggs/chicks
into it. Then submerge the infected nest-insert in a bucket of bleach
water to disinfect. Users should have at least one extra nest-insert.
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Some parasites that are often found in the nest
may fall through the vent holes in the plastic bottom resulting in
their elimination from the nest-insert.
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During extremely hot weather, the plastic
nest-insert bottom can be removed to increase air circulation through
the nest. The nest screen will support the nest and its contents.
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The six crescent shaped vent holes in the top of
the silo provide 2.25 square inches of vent space. In addition, the
nest support screen and bottom vents (and/or removable bottom) offer
considerably more cooling capacity than most wood nest boxes.
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During the winter, replace the bottom with a
plastic cover that has no vent holes; and slide the vent/entrance cover
up to cover the top vent holes to reduce cold drafts.
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Nest replacements are very easy because a new nest
can be formed with grass clippings in another nest- insert before
removing the chicks from a wet or parasite infested nest.
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If it becomes desirable to close the entrance hole
to all birds, simply slide the vent/entrance cover over the entrance
hole.
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The “nest support screen” provides an air space
between the nest and the plastic bottom (jar lid) allowing more air to
circulate that promotes faster cooling and drying of the nest &
nestlings.
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There are 3.274 more square inches of nest space in
a Slippin' Silo (28.274) than there are in a 5” square wooden box (25
square inches).
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Climbing & flying predators find the plastic silo
body more difficult to cling to than a conventional wooden nest box.
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The nest-inserts offer great visibility and angles
for taking photos of nest contents.
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Landlords can conduct nest checks without standing
in front of the nest box. This enables one to position the silo at the
edge of steep bank or body of water and still conduct nest checks from
the rear side.
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The use of discarded food containers for nest and
trap-inserts is an excellent way to re-cycle plastic
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Multiple inserts are available for various
functions:
a.
For
House Sparrow control, remove the nest-insert and replace it with a
trap-insert (Van Ert PVC Sparrow Trap). After trapping a bird,
simply remove the insert and identify the species of bird that it contains.
House sparrows can be euthanized by putting the insert into a paper or
plastic bag & giving it a shot of aerosol engine starting fluid (ether) or
use engine exhaust from any gasoline engine.
b.
In cold
climates where Bluebirds remain during the winter but use nest boxes for
shelter & roosting, a roosting-insert can be fashioned that contains
insulation.
Although there is not very much material in a Slippin' Silo, a
considerable amount of time is required to produce each custom-made,
hand-crafted nest box. From the careful selection of PVC pipe to final
painting, there are 55 individual construction steps. The 55
steps do not include the design, construction and set-up of jigs; waiting for
water & cement to dry and traveling 80 miles one-way to obtain construction
material. Each silo is a specially handmade nest-box produced to
very exact specifications so that the individual components are uniform in
their form and fit.
How does the Slippin' Silo work?
The silo body serves as a "shell" for the nest-insert that slips into,
and out of, the bottom of the silo allowing one to remove the entire nest
contents for inspection, cleaning, photographs, etc. The nest-insert
is secured in the silo by a support pin (1/4" bolt) which also functions to
attach the silo to its supporting structure. A slot in the back of the
nest-insert allows it to be easily attached to the support pin through a
sliding, twisting motion.
Construction specifications have not been made available because of their
complexity. Since the silo body is made from round stock, many jigs
(11) must be constructed in order to produce the components in a consistent
and accurate way. Some of the jigs are more difficult to build than
the silo components. It would be an overwhelming task to produce sketches
and construction information for all of them.
To get an answer to this question, please
click here and read the "Story of Origin."
This page was created on February 19,
2004 and was last updated on
March 20, 2005
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