# Please help my mother wants to kill the baby



## Sendo (Nov 25, 2012)

We use raffia as bed nesting and she says it is NOT safe and now she wants to boil the egg with a live chick inside!!!!!!

She believes anything she reads on the Internet. Please explain to her that raffia (untreated, uncoloured, unscented) is SAFE! Sorry for double posting the same thread...


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Wood shavings would be a better nesting material than raffia for several reasons, but that's no reason to boil the egg. If the embryo is still alive that means that no harm has been done and everything is OK. You can simply switch to a better type of bedding. The sticky thread at http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=27688 has information on ideal nesting conditions. 

Even if the egg got chilled and the embryo died, that's still no reason to boil the egg. The egg would have already stopped developing and nothing would ever hatch from it.


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## Sendo (Nov 25, 2012)

Tielfan, 

Thank you. Can you please confirm that raffia is safe so I can show your reply to my mother? She is afraid the baby will eat/ingest raffia or any other shaving and now she wants to put paper towels in the nest.


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## parsley (Oct 15, 2012)

Rafia is SAFE. not the ideal choice, but safe. No reason to boil a chick!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Coarse wood shavings are safe (aspen or pine, not cedar). Fine wood shavings can cause problems, and so can any other kind of fine material. I can't really say anything about the raffia without seeing a picture of it. But this egg hasn't even hatched yet, and the baby won't be old enough to nibble on nesting material until it's about three weeks old. So there is LOTS of time to make changes in the bedding. 

Here's the section on bedding from http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=27688 Most of this information came from srtiels, an expert breeder who has raised thousands of cockatiel chicks:



> It is essential to have 2 ½ to 3 inches of appropriate litter in the bottom of the nest to provide warmth and protection for the eggs and babies. The nest litter has several important functions. It is a cushion under the eggs that retains both heat and moisture in the developing eggs. The bedding’s ability to retain heat lets the parents go out of the nestbox for short periods of time without fear that the eggs will immediately chill. The parents bring moisture into the box when they bathe or dip into the water bowl before entering the nest. The bedding will absorb and retain this moisture which is needed the last week prior to hatch. The moisture is also beneficial for the first week after hatch for additional hydration (skin aborbs moisture) and feather growth for the emerging pinfeathers. Nest litter also prevents the babies from developing splay leg, a preventable deformity caused by the babies sitting on a surface that is too hard for them. Splay leg is curable if it is treated early, so take action immediately if you notice that your babies’ legs are always at an abnormal angle.
> 
> The choice of bedding can sometimes mean the difference between success and failure in the nest. *Wood shavings are the most common and problem-free nest litter. Aspen and pine are fine for birds, but do NOT use cedar because it is too aromatic.* This type of litter is easily available at pet shops, usually in the small animal (rodent) department. Avoid brands that contain a lot of dust because the dust is an inhalation/ingestion problem, and can irritate eyes and sinuses. Kaytee is a nice clean brand. If you have a dusty brand, you can put some bedding in a colander and sift out the dust.
> 
> ...


Here are links to two pictures on srtiels' website showing which kind of shavings are best:

http://s525.beta.photobucket.com/us...dding-coarse-plain-pine.jpg.html?sort=6&o=218

http://s525.beta.photobucket.com/us...s/bedding-fine-shavings.jpg.html?sort=6&o=217


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Paper towels are not safe, so tell her not to do that. They wont allow the eggs to keep moisture like the wood shavings will.


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## hanna (Apr 14, 2012)

Boiling the egg gives me goose bumps, the little one inside got senses it got a heart which beats .... 
No reason at all to do so ....


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