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What To Put In The Breeding Box ?


Jasonwr6000

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Hi,

 

I was wondering what would be the best thing to put in the breeding box ?

 

I looked on the internet a got various conflicting answers..... some sites said dont put anything in as the budgie would just toss it out,,,,another site said pine shavings,,,,,then i read that, for other pets like guinny pigs, pine shavings are dangerous because of the dust etc...... one site just said shredded newspaper,,,,another said pete moss.....

 

so very confused......

 

what is the best ?

 

 

thank you,

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Hi,

 

I was wondering what would be the best thing to put in the breeding box ?

 

I looked on the internet a got various conflicting answers..... some sites said dont put anything in as the budgie would just toss it out,,,,another site said pine shavings,,,,,then i read that, for other pets like guinny pigs, pine shavings are dangerous because of the dust etc...... one site just said shredded newspaper,,,,another said pete moss.....

 

so very confused......

 

what is the best ?

 

 

thank you,

 

Well I just put wood shavings in the breeding box before the hen even lays and if the hen tosses them out I don't add anymore. But when the chicks get feathers I then add the seed left over in the dish in the actual cabinet to the box and just repeat this cycle every 2 or 3 days.

 

Hope that helps

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In reality the birds require no nesting material. In the wild they nest in hollow limbs of trees. In captivity however humans like to put stuff into the nest boxes including myself. My reason for doing do is to guage if the hen has been in the box and is preparing to nest. In the wild they tend to chew inside the log and as we provide a substrate that is hard and non-weathered it is just a matter of subsitution. I use pine shavings that I obtained in compressed block form. There is no dust in this product as it is removed prior to packageing. I can't say that for all sawdust though as it will depend on where you get it. Becareful where you get it from also. Cabinet makers tend to mix up there various wood shavings so you could end up with a mix of MDF shavings and other nasty stuff.

 

Once the first lot goes in I don't add any unless a hen is playing footy with the eggs too much and then just enough to stop the eggs moving about. Once chicks are in the box I only add if a wet nest or clean out completely and replace but this again does depend on the state of the nest. I have never in 20+ years of breeding put seed in the nest box. I don't find it gets them eating any earlier and quick frankly I find it particularly un-hygienic to give food to developing youngsters in a box full of poop.

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I use flakey bran in the box now as its finer and the birds dont usually even try to throw it out. If I dont use flakey bran I use dry porridge oats. At aged two weeks I start adding seed to the nestbox, because chicks peck around and eat whats in the box, whether eating is poop or not. So in adding seed at age two weeks they do begin to eat earlier and come out of the box knowing what their food is.

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In reality the birds require no nesting material. In the wild they nest in hollow limbs of trees. In captivity however humans like to put stuff into the nest boxes including myself. My reason for doing do is to guage if the hen has been in the box and is preparing to nest. In the wild they tend to chew inside the log and as we provide a substrate that is hard and non-weathered it is just a matter of subsitution. I use pine shavings that I obtained in compressed block form. There is no dust in this product as it is removed prior to packageing. I can't say that for all sawdust though as it will depend on where you get it. Becareful where you get it from also. Cabinet makers tend to mix up there various wood shavings so you could end up with a mix of MDF shavings and other nasty stuff.

 

Once the first lot goes in I don't add any unless a hen is playing footy with the eggs too much and then just enough to stop the eggs moving about. Once chicks are in the box I only add if a wet nest or clean out completely and replace but this again does depend on the state of the nest. I have never in 20+ years of breeding put seed in the nest box. I don't find it gets them eating any earlier and quick frankly I find it particularly un-hygienic to give food to developing youngsters in a box full of poop.

 

I am with you on this one RIP, I don't believe in seed in the nest box either, when the chicks are 2 weeks plus I start putting in millet spray mainly for the hens and when the chicks get old enough the peck away at it too. I only use wood shavings in my nest and am happy with that, I did try the lucerne but went back to the shavings.

I feel by putting seed in the nest attracts those rotten moths that we all try to keep abay. Touch wood I have have not seen one this year so far. :D

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Seed in the nestbox does not attract moths. Besides I have a mozzie zapper in my birdroom so I have no moths.

 

If you take particular notice of chicks in nestboxes......they peck around and eat ANYTHING in their nestboxes at around two weeks of age. Better they eat seed in there than poop. Dont knock if you havent tried it :D

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....showtopic=22446

Edited by KAZ
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I added seed to the nest box before there were even any eggs - the hen didn't throw any of it out at all and the babies seem okay with it. I didn't have any bran or oats so I improvised with the seed.

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Anything we added to the nesting box the hen would toss. But after she laid the eggs she gladly accepted millet and seed. And after the chicks got bigger, they ate the seed and millet.

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Kaz I agree with regards the eating of poop. This is known as 'coprophagy'. It is normal behaviour to help develop gut flora. I just don't encourage this to become excessive by coating food in poop. I have never had a problem with chicks not really knowing what food is. I prefer the chicks to remain in the nest till they are at least 5 weeks of age. If they leave the box I put them back until it gets to the point they just don't stay in.

 

I used flaky bran many years ago as at the time I couldn't get hold of a reliable source of shavings. I found the hens could clean out a nest full of the stuff and leave no trace of it being there. Kaz has found her hens don't clean it out. I have Kaz's nest boxes and they are deeper than mine and so maybe Kaz puts in more than I do and the hen just plain gives up or maybe the depth of the box is more comforting and so the hen feels it is deep enough and does not need to deepen the box. Flaky bran does harbour moth eggs and they will hatch. If you have a zapper no problems, I didn't but had a sticky thing hanging from roof. Problem with them is they wait for passers by rather than attracting like the zapper does.

 

I guess some practices are developed through ones financial status at the time too. When I started in the hobby money was a hurdle so (and it is now again) can't afford to waste things like seed.

 

Splat, seed doesn't attract moths. The eggs are already present. If the seed is left long enough the eggs hatch and eventually there will be moths. Ideally if seed could be stored refridgerated it delays the egg hatching process. I find the pannicum millets are especially bad for moths eggs. I don't really worry to much about moths unless their numbers get to great.

 

At the end of the day I guess we all have our different ways and none are either right or wrong. It is about what suits our particular way of doing things.

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Plain fact is most every hen will try and chuck out anything in her box to get it the way she wants for breeding. Most people just go with the concave. Later when chicks show up they add some nesting materials......whatever they choose to use from a wide range of possible combinations and materials on offer :)

 

We all do what works for us. What works for one person may well not be anothers chosen method.

Edited by KAZ
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I use pine shavings. Deep litter, let the hen toss out as much as she likes so she feels like she is in the grove of getting ready to nest and then just add enough back to cushion the eggs. If there is not enough covering the bottom (concave if you use one) I always wince when the eggs are knocked around if hens scramble off the nest when you go to check.

 

Don't like bran due to moths.

 

I put in seed when chicks have hatched (usually millet sprays actually).

Edited by nubbly5
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