Nesting material

[Cannuck2007]

I have always been told never to give pine shavings or corn cob bedding, always to use paper towel or newspaper. Well following that advice I put paper towel in the nest box with ButterBall and Stella. They keep throwing it out. This is not surprising as I understand that tiels will do this. I do not want them laying eggs on the bare wood though, what can I give them that is safe and they will keep in the nest box? Or am I fighting a loosing battle??

[sweetrsue]

Most breeders (Me included) use pine shavings. I've never had trouble with it. I prefer it to a paper based bedding because pine shavings has the ability to kill bacteria. If you look at all the pictures posted of babies in the nest the vast majority of people use pine shavings. I heard the same thing about pine and switched to aspen but the texture wasn't right...it was kind of splintery. I've never had babies ingesting the shavings or if they did they digested it!

[allen]

i always use pine shavings and have had no problems at all i always buy it at the local pet store

[tielfan]

I used Kaytee aspen shavings with my chicks and had excellent results. Aspen has no aromatic oils. Pine has some aromatic oil but not enough to cause problems. Stay far away from cedar though, the oils are much too strong for birds.

The advice to avoid corn cob bedding sounds good to me. A lot of people say not to even use it for cage litter because bacteria grow so well in it.

[Cannuck2007]

Well I put some pine shavings in today and so far so good. She was a bit unsure of them at first but he was right in there rearranging and showing off how well he can hide the hole :) None have been thrown out though and they have both been in and out!

[allen]

the male normally goes in first to arange the nest before she goes in

[atvchick95]

I use Care fresh bedding

I refuse to take a chance of a baby nibbling on any wood shavings of any form and get crop impaction

plus all wood shavings I've ever been around had a scent (my nose is like a blood hound i can smell the lightest of scents )