Nesting Materials?

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Mickp
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Joined: 09 Nov 2008, 19:03
Location: Yenda NSW
Location: Yenda NSW

what different stuff do you make available for your birds to use as nesting material?

my birds have access to:
coconut fibre
pampas grass seed heads
emu feathers
chicken feathers
swamp grass
pea straw
plus whatever bits & pieces they can get from the plants in the aviary
Mick.
Finch addict and rodent hater.
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finchbreeder
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 20:00
Location: Midwest of West. Aust. Coast
Location: Midwest of West.Aust.Coast

Grasses - died off seeding grass, couch grass
Shredded paper (clean, no coloured ink or newsprint)
Shredded tissues - white plain
Mulberry tree leaves which are left on the branches I put in for perches
Used to have access to cockie feathers in molting season, but alas that source has dried up, must be washed gently in clean water to be on the safe side.
LML
LML
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GregH
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Joined: 17 Feb 2009, 08:20
Location: Brisbane
Location: Chapel Hill, Brisbane Qld

Panic grass heads the birds take them from the green seed they are feed
Tiger grass from deconstructed brooms (similar to Poa siebriana leaves)
Phragmities seed heads (a little coarser and browner than pampas)
kapock lint (from the trees in season and stored)
Chicken feathers (from purchased pillows)
Melaleuca linariifolia an ocasional treat since my main aviary is too dark for them to survive and the fact that finches love stripping the leaves for their nests doesn't help
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Cheeseman
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Joined: 30 Oct 2009, 17:56
Location: Victoria

I used to buy a ball of natural wool, then cut it to bits, I had community flights back then, and most nests ended up with some in them.

Aside from that, basically everything else has already been mentioned.
Cal
2 Pairs of Zebra Finches
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jusdeb
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Joined: 12 Mar 2009, 19:43
Location: Dubbo, NSW
Location: Western Plains NSW

swamp grass
coco fibre
feathers
they also use the dried leaves from tea tree given to them , gum leaves , bottle brush etc
Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue.
David Brent
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JohnP
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Posts: 208
Joined: 28 Dec 2009, 18:36
Location: Canberra ACT

I have used (and currently use) coconut fibre (not the most preferred by my lot), swamp grass (most popular) and sanitized feathers. In the past I have also supplied sanitized cotton lint but this did not prove very popular. Og course the birds do find their own varieties of other products such as bark and leaves which are available in the aviary (particularly the Painteds, as expected).
John
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Jayburd
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Joined: 08 Dec 2009, 12:08
Location: Canberra

I use a grass that I used to call just 'bluegrass' because of it's blue colour, but later found out it is Poa grass. plyable, long, short, great nesting material, and a few nests raised
Julian

Birdwatcher and finch-keeper.

Feel free to check out my photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsrail/
And my birding antics here: http://worthtwointhebushbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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Matt
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Joined: 15 Nov 2008, 20:42
Location: Hawkesbury, NSW
Location: Hawkesbury, NSW

My birds get coarse nesting material from the roadside slashings, november grass, coconut fibre & emu feathers & white feathers. Their favourite though, is green seeding grasses. Some pairs build their nest entirely from green grass and wont touch november grass. I think it's a humidity thing.
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AMCA26
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Joined: 14 Jan 2010, 17:28
Location: Melbourne, Vic
Location: Melbourne

Not sure how you spell it but the brown Hesion. Cut a corner off then you can pull each strand out both ways and use.
Breeding Show Zebra Finches, Blue Gouldians, Pied Orange Breast.
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gomer
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Joined: 23 Nov 2008, 17:41
Location: Victoria
Location: Victoria Australia

AMCA26 wrote:Not sure how you spell it but the brown Hesion. Cut a corner off then you can pull each strand out both ways and use.

Hesion!! I dont know which is worse.pulling hesion or collecting fairy grass.both labour intensive,but well liked by the birds.
Keeper of Australian Grass Finches
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