# The Best Baby Bedding?



## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

I would really like peoples opinion on what is the best bedding for the newborns in the box,,,I read,the wood shavings were not any good,then i was reading on a package of recycled paper that the corncob bedding causes a certain mold/fungus,,,i clean the box every other day,and of course its still filled with droppings,,but im trying this recycled paper,and there is less smell,less dust,etc,,,,,,so i would really value any opinions on this,Thanks in advance!!....Lisa


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Lisa,

Pine or aspen is the best. And please...you do not have to clean the nestbox every day. Many years ago my vet told me to leave the nestbox as is until the babies are old enough to pull. This helps them build a stronger immune system to their enviromnet.

As to the shavings...you would prefer coarse vesus fine. Click on this link...I have 3 collages (halfway down the page) with info about each grade of pine bedding. Click on the pix for a larger veiw: http://s525.photobucket.com/albums/cc331/Mousebirds-and-more/Other%20birds/?start=all


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

Thank You Srtiels!!!
I viewed your whole photo album with this link,Most Impressive,I value your opinion on this ''bedding matter'',,I was always using the pine shavings,until i started reading on ''other products'',,i guess it was more of a ploy to get me to use thier products,instead of what i was using!!I still have the concern about the build up of bacteria in the box,but as you stated it can help build the immune system.So what about the odor?Should i open the lid and place a screen on it to get some fresh air?The babies are almost ready to ''leave the box'',and where i live(albuquerque)its always warm,so they shouldnt get chilled.Thank You so much,I appreciate your knowledge and info on this ''problem''......Lisa


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## Adoril (Jan 11, 2009)

srtiels said:


> Lisa,
> 
> Pine or aspen is the best. And please...you do not have to clean the nestbox every day. Many years ago my vet told me to leave the nestbox as is until the babies are old enough to pull. This helps them build a stronger immune system to their enviromnet.
> 
> As to the shavings...you would prefer coarse vesus fine. Click on this link...I have 3 collages (halfway down the page) with info about each grade of pine bedding. Click on the pix for a larger veiw: http://s525.photobucket.com/albums/cc331/Mousebirds-and-more/Other%20birds/?start=all


OMG!!! The pictures are amazing please keep them forever.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

OK...odor...please describe. The bedding should stay relatively dry. The dropping will look claylike and more towards the outer edges of the box. this is normal. What you don't want to see is excessive wetness. This could be from the parents feeding lots of water and/or soft foods. You should have very little odor. If the odor is slightly vinegary or sour smelling this could be an alert to a very slight yeast infection...though not enough to be problematic. When I smell that I add some probiotics to the water and on the parents food.

If you have alot of heat build-up in the box you can vent it just alittle.


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

Yes,her photo album rocked!!!!So much info there also,,its amazing on all the things that''can go wrong''with babies,,just like us humans!!I especially loved the wings clipped shots,as i just bought 3 young babies from a known ''pet store owner''and to me the wings were just butchered,i felt so sorry for these babies,i bought all 3,they were cut so close to the base,i was amazed they were not bloody,very sad for me!!I am patiently waiting for new growth!On a lighter note,my new boy lutino brothers took thier first flight yesterday,the older one ''juno'',was extremely gracefull,just beautiful!!And the younger(2days)named Patch(because of Daddy feather plucked him about 8 shafts on his butt,,hence,,''patch'')He did pretty well also,but took a small plop to the floor with a ''wow look''on his adorable little face!....Lisa


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Thanks!...I'm glad the photo album was helpful.

LOL...I can just visualize in my mind Patches expression when he went plop


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

Srtiels,
Yes the expression was priceless,it was a little shake of the head,and bright eyes saying,,WOW,I DID IT!!!...And your very Welcome!!Like i said before i value your knowledge!!!!.....The odor is not ''strong'',it is slight,so i have no worries persay,but it is very warm here,and the nest box stays warm,,the droppings do look claylike,its not wet,it reminds me of a ''ceder chest odor''but very light,so its probally more my extra sensitive nose!!haha!I will ''vent''the box a inch or so,and that should take care of it.And once again,YOU ROCK!!Time to take new picts of the babies,they are getting fully feathered,and my little white fluffball has gotten some pin feathers growing in everywhere,and they appear gray,,i sure hope he is a boy,i so want a whiteface male,that is gray,with a whiteface,,grow,grow,grow!!!.....Lisa


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I only use Carefresh bedding been using for almost 3 years and have had no problems 

I clean the nest box when it gets really dirty probably 3xs total from the time the eggs are laid til the babies are either pulled for hand feeding or fledge on their own being parent raised 

sometimes I've done it more so when the parents eat their greens, or drink more water than normal when it gets hot for a while 

i've never had babies eat the bedding, never had parents get the bedding on the baby and accidentally feed it to the baby 

i've seen articles and pictures in the past years of the babies eating wood chips and parents feeding it to them - I refuse to use them most are scented IF i can smell it I won't use it on my birds I do not have a sensitive nose usually things have to be pretty strong for me to even smell it, 

but every one has their own likes and dislikes and I love carefresh bedding i have had no problems with it 

other then trying to get a good picture with white bedding or thinking there was an egg when it was a chunk of white care fresh 

but i fixed that problem I went back to the original care fresh that is brown


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

You are very fotunite 

I am absolutely SCARED of carefresh after having 2 babies get some in their mouth and it blocked their breathing and died in my hands and I was helpless to do anything.

Depending on where you live, and the humidity levels in the envoronment, use of Carefressh also accounts for a higher incidenses (sp) of DIS and trapped in shell eggs.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I live in East Central Indiana 

their Motto For this state is : " IF you don't like the weather stick around it'll change in a minute" 

Last spring It was pouring down rain and I took a picture outside my window to show how 20 mins of a straight pour down was flooding my road , wasn't but maybe 10 mins later I looked out the window and everything was covered in a dusting of snow, by mid afternoon we had a couple inches of snow 

and my kids had just been out playing earlier that day in a t shirt and shorts 

But we bought some Timothy grass for the Quakers to use on their nest - that's all their doing right now is mating and building a nest no eggs yet I'm thinking of using it on the next set of birds we set up as their nesting material to see if it makes any difference at all 

Granted here we can get 60 liters of Care Fresh bedding for around 20.00 and a small pound bag of timothy grass is over 5 dollars and that small bag would only fill probably 3 nest boxes one time. where the 60 litters of care fresh last me into the next breeding season


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

Oh Boy,i would be traumatized if i had a baby die in my hands,omg,I worked in a vets office for over a year,and i had to leave because of putting animals down,for all reasons,it tore out my heart,their last breath in my arms,,no more of that!!I think i will stick with the shavings,i just went and checked and it was ''carefresh'' that i bought and whats in the box,,and to my complete amazement,one of my youngest babies had a piece in its mouth,sorry,gotta go and change it out for the last time,back to shavings,,it may work for one person,and the breeder that i got my lutinos from,,but for me,im back to what i know,i DO NOT want any mishaps,,,thank you all!!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

_*Last spring It was pouring down rain and I took a picture outside my window to show how 20 mins of a straight pour down was flooding my road , wasn't but maybe 10 mins later I looked out the window and everything was covered in a dusting of snow, by mid afternoon we had a couple inches of snow *_
_*--------------------------------------------------*_

It is that type of weather that can play havoc on hatching eggs. The changes in the environment can actually disorient a hatching egg. I have notice that when we have extremes like this the eggshells from the hatches look like they had to fight to get out of the egg.

In the pix...the one on the left is a normal hatch, and the other two had erratic pipmarks like they were lost in the shell.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

our eggs that hatch have always looked like the normal one in your picture 

but i have noticed a few times this season that after a while when the egg doesn't hatch when i go to remove them (I wait more then 1 week past hatch date unless they're broken of course) i've had a couple (one from a budgie , one from a lovebird) that the egg looked like something sucked the insides out the center of it, it was sunken in in the center but the ends were normal and so far each time the egg has only contained yolk 

I never thought to take pics of them though I just chalked it up to being infertile and still being incubated if any more end up like that though I'll get a picture because it is very hard to describe lol


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

_* it was sunken in in the center but the ends were normal and so far each time the egg has only contained yolk 
------------------------------------------------*_

Hmmm...when they dehydrate ususally the only thing left in the egg is the yolk.


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## CindyM (Jun 10, 2008)

I have always used carefreash and never had any problems with it. I do use pine with some of my birds only because it's want they were useing with them when I bought them and wanted to stay with what the birds knew.


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

Srtiels,
the last question,, probiotics ,,,where do i get this,,the vet?I think it would be handy to have,in the ''just in case scenerio'',,i Thank You,once again!!!...Lisa
And thank you to all who replied,i appreciate your thoughts and views!!!


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Lovin_the_tiels said:


> Srtiels,
> the last question,, probiotics ,,,where do i get this,,the vet?I think it would be handy to have,in the ''just in case scenerio'',,i Thank You,once again!!!...Lisa
> And thank you to all who replied,i appreciate your thoughts and views!!!


You can get probiotics at petstores like this one http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752895


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Ah...for a small flock you can get acidolpholus capsules from the pharmacy.  I mix 3 capsules per gallon of water...shake well and give for a week.

Here is some info I saved from some old postings....
---------------------------------------------------
Probiotics

The ‘term’ probiotics describes a class of nonprescription oral medications which works to boost the population of live bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Probiotic means ‘for life.’ They are naturally-occurring beneficial organisms that aid in digestion and inhibit the production of disease-producing bacteria in the intestines. 

Probiotics are used to supplement and/or replace used up natural bacteria which flourish inside the birds digestive tract. Probiotics can be used preventively during periods of stress, such as breeding, molting, when chicks are weaning With a sick bird, pathogens (disease-causing bacteria) take the place of the good bacteria. Probiotic therapy acts to replentish the gastrointestinal GI) tract with good bacteria so that the bad/harmful bacteria cannot attach and cause illness. Probiotics are also of benefit when there is sour crop by reducing the pH levels in the crop and digestive tract.

Now Nancy M. posting yesterday triggerred a little more reading, especially in regards to probiotics...which I was dismayed to learn that it is not a word in the dictionary, but is a *term* comprised of 2 words: Pro meaning 'for', and biotics meaning 'life' And if you go looking in avian, animal, and human drug books the 'word' probiotics is not listed. Probiotics, thus is a 'term' used descripivly that describes a class of no prescription oral medications/suppliments (such as acidophilus, lactobacillius) which are used primarily to boost the population of live bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. They consist of naturally occuring organisms that aid in digestion and inhibit the production of disease producing bacteria. Probiotics help to suppliment and replace used up benifical bacteria in the GI tract. Thus, what is happening, especially after antibiotic treatment, is the replentishment of good bacteria which acts to lower inhibit the levels of bad bacteric from becoming pathogenic. Probiotics such as lactobacillius also lower the pH. 

This is beneifical when dealing with slow crop, or when yeast or bacteria is suspected. When pH is reduced this in turn increases the effectiveness of existing good flora in the GI tract. I'm also learning that one of the reasons why heat is so benifical to sick babies is because it helps to decrease the time needed to kill harmful pathogens when antibiotic and antifungals are used. 

Interesting...huh?


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

EXCELLENT STUFF THIER SRTIELS!!I Love This Site!!!So informative,and differing opinions on what ''works for them'',when you told me about the carefresh,and i looked in the box and seen a baby with a piece between his/her beak,i freaked,i have never seen a baby with anything in its mouth,it may not have happened/but then again it may,,for me,im going to feel safer than sorrier(is that a word??haha)and i vow not to change out the box unless i must!!I vented the box today for a little while,less than a inch,it helped,i believe i ''smell''the smell of warm wood!!It reminded me of my younger days,taking sauna's!!!ITS JUST THE PINE SMELL,,waa-laa,dummy me!!!I guess me changing the box bedding,was enough for this sensitive nose,to realize what it was!!And Thanks Spike for the link up to petsmart,and Srtiels for that very informative post!!I sure came to the right place for the help i need or knowledge i can learn!My birds mean the world to me,so learning all these differant things that are known to the Tiels is for-ever etched in my head now,and if i need help,i know where to come!!KUDOS!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> odor...please describe.


I like to change the litter every day (sometimes every other day) starting when the oldest chick is about a week old. Because it does get kind of smelly in there. I don't think there's anything abnormal happening, it's just the natural consequence of having about 5 chicks in there pooping away. I don't know if climate makes any difference - I live in the desert Southwest like the OP. I'm not a fanatical housekeeper so I don't try to disinfect it and I don't work too hard trying to scrape poop off the sides of the box. So far all my chicks have all been healthy and strong.


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## jperkins (Jul 2, 2009)

I typically only change the litter in the box about once the first week or two and then about every third day once they get past their second week.


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

THANK YOU to all who replied to my question,It means alot to me to get the varied opinions of others!!The new babies are starting to come out of the box,and 2 of them took their first flights today,short,,but sweet,,,now poses the question,to clip,or not to clip,,I think i will wait!!


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I would also wait before clipping. They need to build their flight muscles and learn how to fly.


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## redtiel (Jul 5, 2009)

I use hay in my nest boxes, because it's cheap and easy for me to come by. I wait until the chicks are about 2 weeks then I remove the hay and switch to paper towels, about 6 deep. They fit perfect and I have a slight lip going up the sides of the box and no poop gets on the walls. I change this twice a day. Actually the paper towels are more expensive, but it's how I've always done it.


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

Hi Redtiel!!
im a fellow Minnesnowtan!!LOLOL,,I moved west where theres no humidity,and only occasional snow in the winter,people are real citidiots when it snows here!!HAHA!!My babies are now out of the nest and are ready for there new forever homes,its going to be hard when the first 2 go;-(...Lisa


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