# Nesting Materials



## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

I purchased a few fowl stuff nesting boxes. Basically a glorified plastic bucket with the bottom stuck to the wall and a front and perch attached to the front. I need to put something inside because it is slick. Hay? Straw? Large pine chips? Kitty litter? I am putting plastic nesting bowls inside but I need something outside of the bowl.
Thank You!


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

They look like this


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

I just placed the dog food bowl inside for reference. I ordered some plastic nesting bowls.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I think you have them on there side, the top is facing the left? Shouldn't the perch be on the bottom so they can stand on it. I would just use pine needles for nesting the long one you can find every where.
Dave


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

I thought about putting a bit of plywood or something over the perch for a more substantial perch area.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Ok the pic is just on it's side sorry.


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

Some of the pics are a bit of an illusion. The wood on the side looks like floor but that is a wall. The perches are on the bottom.
I like the pine needle idea but where I live, we don't have those long pine needles. Wish I could get some. Folks who sell them are very proud of them
Thanks.


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

Thanks for your input Pete. I'm keeping my eye open for long pine needles. What do you think of the boxes in general? Good bad and ugly.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I like them you should be able to take the lid off and just wipe them clean and easy to put new nesting material in.
Dave


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Hey Rich,
They look good and stylish. Your birds will feel secure in them. I saw same type of arragement in a loft on youtube once.
Stiff straw and pine needles would do good as nesting material. How would you place a bowl in there, wouldn't it tumble?
I think there's no need to place a bowl in there. Nesting materials alone will be fine


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

I might forgo the bowl.Ive been experimenting with trimming down the bowl on the two sides. I can make it work. Maybe I'll try it both ways. Thanks


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

If you look, I secured the boxes to 2x4s which I set on some brackets I made. You can just lift them off the wall and take them outside to clean or even to the car wash. 
I do secure the whole thing with one screw through the 2x4 to avoid lateral movement.


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## gingerpoo (Jul 31, 2008)

I'd probably add wood to make a platform. Then pine shavings and then give them tobacco stems. My only concern is that if they don't bring in any nesting material your baby's won't have sides to lean against really.


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

Thanks. I did find some pine needles that are fairly long right here. 3" to 5". I put them in the bottom and it will work great. I'll post a pic when I get home. I will incorporate a bowl into the needles in two of them.
I have four of these so I will try them for a season and see how they do.
I have read how large nesting areas are something that motivates racing pigeons to home quickly. But I'm not a serious racer. I love to fly my birds and watch them come home. I like quality homers even if I don't race. I only have 11 birds. I'm retired and I enjoy watching them and learning of their nature. Some think I'm nuts, but I look at what many others do in retirement and I think that perhaps they are nuts. To each their own...


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

Pine Needles..


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

As long as you put enough needles in it that they can make a nest bowl of sorts, if the nest is slick the young could end up with splayed leg.
Dave


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

They don't generally like the short needles that you have. We have them too, but they ignore them. I have gotten them from a member who lives in Florida and sells them. They do like straw. But if you are going to add a bunch of the shorter needles yourself, then it will get them off the bottom of the bucket.
Think I would add a wide board also, and let it be the floor. Just put it in and let it drop down and settle in place.


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

I got my new birds today. Breeding pairs. One of them laid an egg on the floor... Not a promising start. I put the needles in the next boxes. So far they don't enter the boxes...


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Pairs will take time to settle down first and then explore what's made for them. They surely will like the nesting holes once they get comfy with them.

I say congrats! If the pair who laid the egg on the floor accepts the eggs when second one is laid then let'em raise it there on the floor itself. Because ahead comes moulting season in august and birds aren't supposed to breed through that season. If they start sitting on eggs on the floor just place bricks around so the eggs don't roll away. Pigeons like straw as nesting materials. Place some straw in a corner and let'em try to build their own nest. If they don't build a satisfactory one you can intervene.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I would take the egg in the house to keep it at room temp, then put the pair in a nest and hope they take it then if they lay the second egg you can put the first egg in with them.
Dave


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

Well this egg was busted... But I'm keeping an eye on the birds. They have materials in the boxes.


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

Going to my neighbors ranch today to get a little straw and hay. Did order some tobacco stems.


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

I'm learning a lot. Don't think they like these 4" needles.
Going to do straw. Also building a few traditional wood boxes. 
Will have the system down before next year. 
I'm sure Im making it too complex lol but perhaps others will learn with me...


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Yeah, its like that. Cool!

Since you want your birds to breed they need a nest box,ofcourse. It will help them settle better and fast if you yourself put the pairs locked with a mesh wire in their respective nest boxes for 3-4 nights and let them out during day. This will help them understand which boxes is their private room which they will occupy and start to defend against others. It will help with the turmoil they create finding a box for themselves, also this will speed the breeding process up.

Do order some solid plastic fake eggs. They are essentials of pigeon keeping,you're gonna discover soon. You're gonna need 'em to hatch control later. For now, you can use them to protect your first egg until second one is laid. When first one is laid take it out and put a plastic fake egg in its place so it dont get trampled or damaged. It will also help with the size difference in case your pigeons start to incubate the first egg right away when its laid. My cocks do that. They start to sit on the first egg when its laid. Incubation of both eggs must start at the same time so squabs hatch out with a minimum gap of few hours or atleast they hatch out on the same day so that size difference doesn't occur. Place the original egg in the nest when second one is laid and pull out the fake.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Don't think it's necessary to replace a first egg until second one is hatched, unless you find that they are sitting the first egg right away. Mine don't do that, and have not had a problem with one baby being that much bigger than the other. I think we sometimes interfere too much when we don't need to. If it is actually needed with a pair, then that would be different.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Rich said:


> I'm learning a lot. Don't think they like these 4" needles.
> Going to do straw. Also building a few traditional wood boxes.
> Will have the system down before next year.
> I'm sure Im making it too complex lol but perhaps others will learn with me...



I don't think you are making it too complex. You are learning is all. It would be good if many who don't bother trying to learn what is best for their birds, would do as you are doing. You are paying attention, and trying different things, and that is how you learn.


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

That is all great and interesting information! We were away today, when I got home I looked and the new birds were sitting on the top of the buckets, or on the perches. One bird was inside the bucket. They definitely have claimed that turf. My other five birds were elsewhere, they are younger.
Interesting stuff to me. Thanks, Jass SamOplay and Jay3
Thanks for taking time with a guy who comments about such stuff that has to be trivial to you guys.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

No question is trivial. That's how we learn. And we are all learning all the time. I'm glad they are liking their new boxes.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Nice development...
Just wondering, have you put all the birds together like lone birds , breeding pairs and young birds in one loft?


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

I know it's not the best, but due to a long story which I won't bore you with, it will be a month before there is another loft. They have lots of room but they are all together for a few weeks. 11 birds total. Near 100 sq ft of floor space. Another loft in progress.


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## Rich (Apr 3, 2015)

Ordered the plastic eggs. Just wanted to raise a nest of them for now.
We had an unexpected and sudden developement (a good one), but the loft was delayed as a result. My goal with all of this is to have some young birds to train next spring. I'm going to raise my own. I will raise a few now, but mostly it will be next year.
RC


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

100 sq ft is really a large space for 11 birds. Hope breeding pairs don't get disturbed from lone/ybs. If happens so, you can partition the loft temporarily. And for that even a heavy curtain will do.
Keep posting on the happenings as they occur in your loft


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

With that much space I doubt that the younger single birds will bother the pairs much. If it was a small space it would be more of a problem.
But I would make sure there were enough perches and boxes for everyone, so that the younger ones aren't trying to take their nest box.


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