nest box bedding?

[tigressmidnight]

i need suggestions for bird bedding in the nest box, what is the safest and what is the best?

[huntress]

I use pine shavings. Not sawdust. Shavings. They are larger more curled - but it might depend on what species of bird. I uses these for grass keets and parrotlets.

[tigressmidnight]

i should of said, i am breeding budgies

[birdlady49]

The safest is shredded unprinted newspaper. I haven't used it and the only negative I foresee is the need for frequently changing the bedding to avoid a buildup of feces.

I haven't bred any of my birds in several years, but I always used pine shavings without problems. Since then, however, I have read about the problems using pine shavings, i.e., older babies ingesting some of the shavings and causing crop impaction. However, I always pulled the babies for handfeeding before they became very aware of the substrate.

[tigressmidnight]

thanks, i was planning on pulling for handfeeding as well befor they would get to that point of eating everything in site has anyone tryed the recycled newspaper bedding they offer at pet stores?

[macawlover]

I've heard numerous things about pine shavings as well. I'd stick with shredded newspaper, like birdlady49 mentioned.

[hugs28]

I bought eco-nest, its not that soft, but my birds shredded it, so it is softer and smaller . It says its great for all birds. It has a natural nesting color, dust free, wont pack down. Shavings get dusty, I don't care for shavings. I gave mine also some soft cotton like stuff, and timothy hay and shredded paper, they used what they wanted to. I have seen people use grasses. And people use palm fronds for lovebirds and such. good luck. I am anticipating my first eggs any day now :) mine are lovebirds

[Yeka]

I gave my doves timothy hay in their nest and it seems to work well. I would NOT suggest the stringy "nesting material" that many large petstores sell, especially for small birds. The birds' feet can get caught in the string and lead to disaster. I unfortunately know this firsthand. :(

[huntress]

SHAVINGS not sawdust, and there is a differance huge differance. Shavings dont get dusty, they are too big to ingest and they are the most natural as to what the mamma and papa bird would chew into the nest while making a hole in the tree, and then they add feathers and other softees they find.

[birdlady49]

Originally Posted by Yeka

I gave my doves timothy hay in their nest and it seems to work well. I would NOT suggest the stringy "nesting material" that many large petstores sell, especially for small birds. The birds' feet can get caught in the string and lead to disaster. I unfortunately know this firsthand. :(

Doves are amazing when it comes to breeding. All I had to give my doves were a few branches from millet spray and an extra seed cup and voila, I had eggs. It wasn't my goal to breed them. I thought the millet spray branches were their versions of toys.

I also once had a ringneck dove lay an egg on my shoulder.