# Berkeley Square Nest Bowls



## V-John (May 15, 2008)

On one of the other threads, someone (thanks ssyyb2) posted that there were reported issues with the Berkeley Square Nest Bowls. This caused me to wonder, as I went home and checked, and I have these same nest bowls. (yes, I'm throwing all of them away) I have had some difficulty with breeding this year and it caused me to wonder... 

What is the connection between the nestbowls and breeding? Does it give them paratyphoid? I'm having a hard time figuring out the connection between the two. 

Here is a quote from Foys...

We have made the decision to suspend the sale of the Sanitary Nest Bowls listed on our site and in our catalog. The item numbers are #390 thru #394, and this suspension affects only the Sanitary Nest Bowls. All other nest bows are available, including the Dandy Nest Bowls, a similar paper pulp bowl. We have received information, from a few fanciers, that they have experienced issues with the Sanitary Nest Bowls which may have been the cause of loss of life of very young pigeon babies in the nest. We have been in touch with the supplier of the Sanitary Nest Bowls, and test are now being done to see if in fact the Sanitary Bowls are a problem or that it is some other issue that has caused the loss of life of some baby pigeons. We have temporarily reduced the selling price of the Dandy Nest Bowls to match the price of the Sanitary Nest Bowls.

If anyone has anymore information on this that they would like to share, please do so.


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## V-John (May 15, 2008)

It's interesting you say that about the bowls.... These Berkeley bowls are slick. Coated in a slick outer casing. I've never felt them like this before, but I went ahead and used them. The ones in the past, felt like the rough, recycled paper that we know them to be. 

I'm going to be switching to a different nest bowl. I've seen guys use plastic dog bowls.


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## c.hert (Jan 15, 2010)

I use the USA plastic Nesting bowls from Foys. They are slick and you must have something in them for the babies to latch their little feet on so I leave a certain amount of the poopings with Tobacco stems and other sticks in them as long as they are kept very dry and by the time the babies come they are dry and just perfect for them..The pooping is insulating and bug repellent as well as mice repellent in some cases. People disagree with my method here but I have never had a baby die or even get sick but then again I put plastic eggs down so as not to breed. But years ago I had many pigeon babies and these bowls did really well. I had one baby with a badly splayed leg because the bowl was empty and plastic and missed the real egg because of my eyesight and never knew there was a baby there---need cataract surgery--the 26th appointment. Just thought I would give imput here.. Thanks for letting is know about those paper bowls.. The USA Plastic nest bowls are larger in size and deep as well and keeps the precious one in for a longer time and safer...At least that's what I think...The bottom of them have a slight curve that seems to keep things in the middle of the bowl...


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## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

V-John said:


> On one of the other threads, someone (thanks ssyyb2) posted that there were reported issues with the Berkeley Square Nest Bowls. This caused me to wonder, as I went home and checked, and I have these same nest bowls. (yes, I'm throwing all of them away) I have had some difficulty with breeding this year and it caused me to wonder...
> 
> What is the connection between the nestbowls and breeding? Does it give them paratyphoid? I'm having a hard time figuring out the connection between the two.
> 
> ...


My guess is it would be chemical. Not sure if they will publish the results. They do look different than the regular paper ones. But if you used them then it could be a reason you had problems. 

Everyone has their favorite nest bowl or routines when breeding birds. Depending on the situation and type of hobby the keeper is in will depend on how, when and why and what to use. 

I have found that nest bowls in general are not needed ESP if one is keeping pigeons just for flying around the loft. The pigeons select their own materials to build their nests. I use fake eggs. If I was breeding then I use a red house brick in front of the nest material pile, and perhaps another one to make an L shape, with the back of the nest box itself holds all the rest. They can be used again and again. Serve as a dam to hold the sticks in, a barrier for the squabs and a toe nail trimmer for the parents going in and out.


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## V-John (May 15, 2008)

Post from Seigels on a different brand of nest bowl. 

Siegel's will temporarily stop selling the American wood pulp nest bowls! Babies have been affected in a few instances when hatching in the bowls without nesting materials. We've interviewed some of our customers using these American wood pulp nest bowls. The results are a very small percentage of these interviewed have not reported a problem. Those that have been using them without any problems are using nesting materials such as straw, pine needles, sand or even newspaper on bottom of bowls. As long as a layer exist between the baby and the bowl there are no problems. Only problems are when the babies hatch directly in the bowl having skin contact with the bowl. Until we can further investigate the issues at hand with these bowls, we will no longer sell them.

We are currently in the process of purchasing European wood pulp nest bowls! We will post a statement as soon as we have those in stock.


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## V-John (May 15, 2008)

Whytpigeon said:


> My guess is it would be chemical. Not sure if they will publish the results. They do look different than the regular paper ones. But if you used them then it could be a reason you had problems.
> 
> Everyone has their favorite nest bowl or routines when breeding birds. Depending on the situation and type of hobby the keeper is in will depend on how, when and why and what to use.
> 
> If have found that nest bowls in general are not needed ESP if one is keeping pigeons just for flying around the loft. The pigeons select their own materials to build their nests. I use fake eggs. If I was breeding then I use a red house brick in front of the nest material pile, and perhaps another one to make an L shape, with the back of the nest box itself holds all the rest. They can be used again and again. Serve as a dam to hold the sticks in, a barrier for the squabs and a toe nail trimmer for the parents going in and out.


Thanks for posting this.


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## V-John (May 15, 2008)

shorty2 said:


> What kind of problems have you been experiencing?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I THINK that some of the dog bowls are deep enough that they aren't as flat bottomed as some of the others. But that'd be something you'd have to look at.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

shorty2 said:


> Bacteria and other biological nasties need moisture to survive. I've never used the paper bowls but they look like they would act like a sponge and retain moisture creating a substrate to grow bacteria.
> 
> Not sure if what I do will help your situation but here is what I do -- I use the hard plastic bowls but modified them. I drilled a 3 x 3 grid of 1/4" holes in the bottom (total of 9 holes, about about 1" between them). The underside of the bowl has a lip, I cut 6 grooves in the lip. The grid lets the debris fall through to under the bowl and the bottom grooves lets the air flow and dry it out so the bowls stay very dry.
> 
> ...



If you remove all the sticks, what do they have for nesting material? They should have something there.


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## c.hert (Jan 15, 2010)

Shorty2 from Phoenix I think your "out of your mind" from all that sun in Arizona or you pulling our leg. lol lol..They sure look comfortable in those pictures..and hoping they survive the season.. Thanks for the pictures...


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

I moved some of my breeders to a temporary home which ended up being their new breeding loft . It was originally a machine shed and has a rock / gravel floor and many of my birds have built nests right in the rocks and have successful raised healthy young on the rock floor . It must be why they call them " Rock Doves" .


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Found this on Pigeon Auction... http://www.pigeonauctions.com/lot.cfm?lotID=57022
Dave


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## V-John (May 15, 2008)

Ok guys. I went to the link that Dave posted and contacted the guy who started that auction. 

He wanted me to post his information on here as he is filing a lawsuit against Berkley. 

This is the email that he sent me. 

"I have started a law suit with burkley square I have lost over 200 birds and am putting together a list of people who lost birds. I got foys and seigals to pull the bowls. I have had three babies tested they have tonxins at 12 hours okd in the kiver. I have a list of over 60 people and 1,000 deaths. I am working with burkleys att and the fda.
john beeson"
316-217-5453

His email is: 

[email protected]

If anyone has any interest in this, I would highly recommend contacting him and seeing what he's got in mind. Seems motivated, that's for sure.


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## pigeon george (Aug 7, 2003)

I know this post is a bit old but I was losing 75% of my new birds earlier
In the year, I was using the berkly bowls in question. After hearing about foys
Suspending sales went to different cardboard nest bowl. My birds did start early on breeding and it was a bit cold but since switching I lost only one chick. I had a small flock of eight breeders but I swear it was the bowls


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I think it is good to post in it again to bring the post back up for those who might not have seen it earlier.


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