# Is it OK to clean nest bowls with babies?



## volvoben (Oct 14, 2006)

Our 2 youngins are now about 6 days old, and getting nice and plump. But I must admit, they're stinking up our apartment pretty good. We took them out when both parents were off eating to test for band-readyness, and I almost fell backwards after smelling that bowl. 

So the question is whether it's alright to clean out the nest bowl, replace the old bedding with new and return the babies without risking problems of some sort. 

for good measure, here's one of the youngsters a few days ago with dad:


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

If you've got another nest bowl like that one, you might try swapping them out with a clean one and watching to see what happens real closely. If not, then try to make sure that the clean stuff that you put in looks like the dirty stuff you're taking out sans poop.

Pidgey


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

volvoben said:


> Our 2 youngins are now about 6 days old, and getting nice and plump. But I must admit, they're stinking up our apartment pretty good. We took them out when both parents were off eating to test for band-readyness, and I almost fell backwards after smelling that bowl.
> 
> So the question is whether it's alright to clean out the nest bowl, replace the old bedding with new and return the babies without risking problems of some sort.
> 
> for good measure, here's one of the youngsters a few days ago with dad:


There is much debate about this among fanciers. If you think about it, no one cleans up after babies in the wild and they do just fine. I personally, clean my bowls and give the babies fresh bedding when I band them. Then I clean the bowl as I feel it needs it. Eventually, around 10 to 12 days, they will begin to back up and poop over the side and so the bowl won't be near as dirty. Some fanciers don't clean the bowl at all until after the babies are weaned and Mom is getting ready to lay again. I agree with the smell and I think, how would I like to be stuck in that bowl, smelling that 24/7? It really is a personal preference I suppose. You should however, watch Mom and Dad and make sure they will except the new nest. I've only had a problem once and I actually changed the entire bowl, meaning I put the new bedding in a different kind of bowl. That was a problem and I wound up having to give one baby to another pair to raise and I raised the other one here in the house.


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Your nest bowl look remarkably clean to me...just you wait till they get a little older..YUK!! 

I always clean out the nest boxes from about 7days old and replace the nestbowl with an identical (but clean) one. Never had any problems with it.


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## littlestar (May 11, 2005)

Volvoben, I didn't want my babies in poop, so I change the bedding everyday.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I have a 16 day old baby right now and I cleaned the bowl and changed the bedding since dy one. The parents don't seem to mind. I guess it does depend on the parents though.

Reti


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## volvoben (Oct 14, 2006)

Well, just as an update, I changed the bowl out for a clean one last night. I kept the dirty one in the bathroom just in case they rejected the babies, but after a half hour or so of 'uuuuh, what's this new thingy here...', and then some feeding of the youngins from _outside_ the bowl, they finally hopped back on. that poor bowl had an inch of baby pigeon poo on it, but it's clean now, and boy does the apartment smell superb. I threw in a paper towel on the bottom to make sure the babies don't sit in direct wetness on the bottom of the bowl (the parents seem to make the nest around the sides of the bowl, never covering the center). Dad tried to pull the paper towel out by the edge a few times, but seems content now. 

We should band them tonight or at least within a few days, so I'll toss up a few photos of the banding just for fun. And so the family can have a taste of celebrity.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Volvoben, 


Part of the issue when we provide 'Nest Bowls' is that the Babys, when very young, can not get their little butts high enmough TO poop over the side, unless the Bowl is very nearly full of nesting material.

The whole notion of them needing a 'bowl' per-se, to me seems an imposition and compromise on their Natural History, makes it hard for the Babys to get to move a little if they want to, and it frustrates what otherwise are their tidy habits.

In Nature, or left to their own devices, Pigeons ( at least those I have had, ) build Nests which are basically flat and elevated slightly in height from whatever they are built on, with their inch or so of twigs and other slender things. And, the Babys poop over what they construe to be the edge of it very nicely.

The Babys never fall 'out' of these Natural Nests or wander or have any problems...but once old enough to amble a little, of course they will see what is close by to find out about...and with the 'low' Natural Nest, they have no troubles getting back 'in'.

I think if one is going to use deep Bowls, one should fill them with enough advance fine twigs or other material so that the Nest the impending parent Pigeons do make, will be close to the height of the Bowl's top edge.

Or, best of all, do not use deep Bowls, just use some one inch deep thing or other, even just cut off the bottom inch of a smallish Cardboard Box and provide that as ths starter/definer for them to build their Nest in...


Best wishes!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

volvoben said:


> So the question is whether it's alright to clean out the nest bowl, replace the old bedding with new and return the babies without risking problems of some sort.


Congratulations on the babies. I change mine at about 5 to 6 days of age. If the parents trust you then it shouldn't be a problem.

I usually replace mine with an identical nest bowl and bedding, just without all the poop.


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## volvoben (Oct 14, 2006)

Here is one of the babies we banded...


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

That baby has the sweetest expression! Second photo - "...Do you have this in a black patent leather?"


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

TerriB said:


> That baby has the sweetest expression! Second photo - "...Do you have this in a black patent leather?"


Fuuuny, Terri!

GREAT PICTURES!! Just love those expressions!!


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Totally adorable pictures .. 

Terry


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

What a little sweetie!

Linda


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