# Tobacco Stems



## mcontinenza (Mar 8, 2003)

I wrote in yesterday looking for tobacco stems to buy from anywhere and received a reply but now am interested in finding a suppler in Minnesota if possible, found eggs in the nest and need stems faster than I thought. Any help would be appreciated.


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## bigbird (Aug 19, 2000)

Pine needles or straw will also work for nesting materials.


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## pigeonpal (Jan 30, 2003)

Hello, 

You can supply some straw or pine needles as a temporary bedding until the tobaco stems arrive. Then replace it with the stems if tobacco stems are your choice.

Sounds as though you need something now. This will work for you.

If there's a feed store close by, they will maybe let you get a bag of straw or hay right off the floor in their hay barn or storage area at no charge if you explain your situation to them.

Hope this helps.


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Pine needles are better then straw as they do not allow small incects in them . straw is poris and incects can breed there. Tobbaco is is good but harder to get. Pine needles are most every where. See a pine tree ask the owner if you get some. or go to the woods if its close.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Good evening & Welcome to Pigeons.com,
I live in AZ where the temp was about 80 degrees today. We have a pine tree in our front yard with pine needles galore! 
I'm sure you can find someone with a pine tree in MN. They work wonderfully. 
Frank & Jesse have a great time arranging the needles around them. 
I'm just curious, why would you want to use tobacco leaves?
Cindy

Oops! Shows how much I know, I mean tobacco stems. 




[This message has been edited by AZWhitefeather (edited March 09, 2003).]


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## notapigeonkeeper (Oct 16, 2002)

Perhaps tobacco stems are used because nicotine is insecticidal? I use a spray that I have soaked tobacco leaves in in my organic garden to control insect pests. It works well. I would think that it would be good to prevent infestations of feather mites and flies. But you'd have to be careful that the stems didn't get eaten by the birds - because nicotine is a pretty strong neurotoxin - afterall, if it kills insects, it will kill other animals in high enough doses.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Thanks for the explanation. 
I have never dealt with any type of tobacco products & had no idea. Very interesting. 
I think I will stick to the good old pine needles. Frank & Jesse get into enough mischief. lol. 
Cindy


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Tobbaco stems is an old use nesting material. Books wrote long ago suggest it. And people to day use it . It like pine needles wont habor incects. Just some places you can get it easy and some you have to order it. But pine needles do a good job. Some people just use a little pine shavings in pulp nest bowls But straw is not a good choice due to insect control. Pigeons dont mind what they use people do. And sound nest material enhances less problems.


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## pigeonpal (Jan 30, 2003)

Here's something I have been using for the past 5 years that I have had extremely good results with. 

I have been putting plain old sand in the nesting bowls. I by a 50lb. bag at the lumber yard and it lasts for, well I guess 5 years now come to think of it. I have only boughten one since I've practiced this.

There's no mess with storing unlike straw or other bulky material. And only costs about $3.00.

The idea is that the sand retains heat for a longer period of time while the parents are eating and such. The droppings of the young are easily removed and the sand absorbes any moisture. About one inch in the nest bowl is all it takes.

After the young are of banding age it's time for clean sand also. The babies have less chance of developing a bent keel bone due to a hard nest bottom or splaid legs, as it can be a problem if the youngster can't keep it's legs under it properly. I have found this to be a problem when there is a single in the nest because they use the nest mate to help support themselves. 

They can still build a nest on top of the sand if the nest bowl is deep enough for thoughs pigeons that enjoy building nests and it is good for the bird to do so. It brings them into a breeding mood if not already. And the sand keeps everthing above it warm. 

The parents keep the eggs warm on the top and the sand keeps the underside of the eggs warm, a thermal effect. My hatchability success rate went up significantly useing the sand. This thermal effect is more noticeable in outside lofts when breeding starts before the weather warms up. But benificial indoors also.

And like re lee stated "pigeons don't mind what they use people do". 

Steve


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Interesting thing about the sand, Steve









Mary


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

I like the sand idea Steve. And they can 'add a room' with pine needles, etc. if they want.
I can just see it now if I had had sand when Bonnie & Clyde were growing up. What a hoot!
Cindy


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## pigeonpal (Jan 30, 2003)

Hi Mary,

It is interesting when you think about it, who would have tought. Well a man in the bay area Randy Apel, 50 years flying and showing pigeons handled a bird of mine that had a slightly bent Keel and shared this with me and I have been forever greatful to him. Have warm respect for Randy and his wife Martha.

Cindy, 

Didn't you let Bonnie and Clyde play in the sand box? You're depriving them of their childhood







.

Speaking of materials birds will use reminds me of when I was building a loft and my hens were out for exercise. This blue check hen was fasinated with all the pounding and sawing she'd been witnessing for weeks on end. She started hanging around with me and watching every thing I was doing. I told my son she was a reincarnated carpenter and was supervising me. She was so intense. Seemed like she knew what I was suppose get before I did. Nails,screws,caulking, plywood whatever she would fly over to it and peck at it. And kinda hang around it till I went and got it. Then she would watch from a perch not to far from me, until she thought I needed something and try and tell me about it by flying to the materials coo dance and peck.

She wouldn't go in the loft while I had my tools on so I would feed and water her on the new loft floor by herself.

I was putting together nesting areas and put a nest bowl in one just to sized it up and she took to it, so I left it for her to set in. By the time I finished the loft she had made a nest in it out of 3 pounds of screws and nails and 4 pieces of straw plus about 6 feathers she found on the ground. Over a 12 day span. She took them out of the packages they came in wether it was a box or paper sack. She would even try and tendrize them before placing them in the nest. 

When I needed a size I was running low on, I would get them out of her nest, she had all sizes in there. She wasn't even expecting any eggs yet that's what was real funny. She had access to anything she wanted to build her nest out of, but she chose nails and screws.

Steve


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

What a funny story! Thanks for sharing, Steve.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

I wish I had known about the sand earlier Steve, I would loved to have seen Bonnie & Clyde romping about in it.

Your story is a treasure. Good thing she hadn't laid any eggs. lol.

This is off the beaten path just a bit. Your story reminds me, years back my folks were having new carpeting installed. They also had a German Shephard 'pup'. The work was completed, the installer left, only to return a few days later inquiring about some of his tools that turned up missing. My dad, being a very quite & somewhat 'proper' gentleman was just a bit offended. He proceeded to tell the installer he had no use for his tools. A few days later my dad was doing some gardening. You guessed it! Gretchen had found 4 treasures & buried them. 
Needless to say my dad's 'neon face' probably lit up the town.
Aren't animals just the greatest. 
Cindy 


[This message has been edited by AZWhitefeather (edited March 11, 2003).]


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## hilary (Jun 20, 2002)

Steve,

Your story is hilarious!!!! Hercules has his pick of nesting material from outside and will sometimes bring in sticks and twigs, but his favourite nesting materials consist of :-

keys, keyrings, rings, safety pins (closed of course), in fact anything shiny or colourful. My son got real mad with him because he stole the wiring connecting his speakers to his CD player and added that to his nest.

Hilary


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