# Are these pine chippings?



## type.rst (Oct 17, 2010)

Just a quick question. I went to the local pet shop and bought some pine chippings. The owner gave me these but he didn't seem too sure that these were pine. He said they must be? lol pretty useless for a pet shop owner. 

Maybe you guys can help me from the picture below.

thanks


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

sorry i cant help you... I know how you feel about shops tell you anything so you can just buy the item


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Below are some pix's of bedding (click for a larger veiw) and info on each illustration.

Can you take some pieces of the bedding you have and spread it out on a paper similar to the illus and take a pix? I can't tell too well from you photo, but it looks like what you have may be too coarse, and can cause more damage than good in the nestbox.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

What is best to use for bedding


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

I use the bedding that is in the 2nd pix I posted. Or you can also use shredded aspen or aspen shavings.

You can check at a feed store (such as for horses). Many times they sell large bags of pine shavings/chips inexpensively. Or you may be able to visit a stable and see what type of shavings they use in stalls. if any looks like the 2nd pix I posted you might ask them for a small amount to use for your nesting material. Or check some of the larger pet stores.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

I get my hay from the farm online for my bunnys so i will check to see if they do any


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

That would be a good idea. Last resort you can use the bunnies hay (or soft grasses or alfalfa) as nesting material. Peet moss can also be used.


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## type.rst (Oct 17, 2010)

I have attached 2 pictures of the chippings like you asked. When i got my cockatiels the breeder gave me a nestbox which my cockatiels had used for their last clutch and it contained chippings of very similar size to this. Im pretty sure they are pine chippings which i have now but not a 100% certain. See if you can tell from these photos.

Thank you.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Do you know why the breeder sold the pair? And also of the amount of eggs layed, how many hatched? If the breeder had a poor hatch rate It would mostly been the bedding that was the cause. If an inexperienced breeder the birds would have gotten the blame, when it was something else.

The type of bedding in your pix's would have been hard on the eggs, and contributed to cracks/dents. It would have been harder to hold and even heat from the parent birds body, and may not have been as good at holding humidity vecause there is too much air space between each piece.


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## type.rst (Oct 17, 2010)

I have no idea why he sold the breeding pair. I know there were 3 chicks from this pair in the last clutch. So if thats the case i wont use these chippings. I know in the same pet shop there were some aspen shavings too. i will just go and get them as on here everyone seems to recommend them. the only reason i bought these pine chippings was because they looked very similar to what my cockatiels used in their last clutch.

Do you have a picture of aspen shavings? Because the ones in the pet shop looked very fine and i just want to be certain on how thick or big each peice needs to be.

Thank you


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

No, I don't have a pix of the aspen bedding. it comes in 2 forms, either shredded and fine or in small flakes. Either is fine to use.


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## type.rst (Oct 17, 2010)

One of my friends who keeps rabbits uses pine shavings so i went and got some off him. I think these savings may be too fine. I have attached 3 photos, If you think these shavings are fine then ill put them in the nest box and transfer my cockatiels into the breeding setup in the morning. If not then ill need to shop around and find something suitable tommorrow.

Thank you.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Those are too fine. What happens is the birds can not turn the eggs as well, the eggs can sink into the bedding which also impairs turning. The bedding robs moisture from the eggs. if the parents are sloppy feeders after the chick hatches, bedding can get stuck on any food stuck on the face and beak, and the next time parents feed these small pieces of bedding get shoved in with the food, and this can cause an impaction in the crop.


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## type.rst (Oct 17, 2010)

ok i took the pine chippings back to the pet shop and exchanged them for some aspen shavings. Again these seem to be quite fine but not as fine as the pine chippings i posted the pics for in my last post. I have attached 3 pics. Please let me know what you think of them. If not ill go to a few other pet shops and find some pine shavings which are not so fine. 

Thank you.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Great...what you have is shredded aspen. This is a great cushion under the eggs, and it retains heat and moisture well. You can also use this same bedding for when you pull the babies later for handfeeding.

Good luck with your pair, and keep us posted on how they are doing


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## type.rst (Oct 17, 2010)

Ohh thats a relief, i've been going crazy for the past two days trying to find the right bedding. Do you think the eggs might sink in this bedding like you mentioned it might in your last post about the pine shaving bedding? because this bedding is quite fine.

I'd like to thank you very much srtiels. You have helped me so much without you id still be very confused and probably would have used the pine bedding.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

No the eggs should not sink like in the finer pine shavings. When the parents make their indentation on where the eggs will be it will compact below the eggs, yet is a soft enough cushion for them. What you have is the BEST choice of all the beddings I've ever used.


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## type.rst (Oct 17, 2010)

oh thats great. Im glad i've finally made the right choice.


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