Alternative nesting materials

[zebman]

My birds get pine needles, both green and dried as well as other grasses including couch.

[Jayburd]

I've got a few feed bags full of something a lot like swamp grass, J., you're welcome to have one.
When I go to Wagga to work it collects on the fences with the wind, and you can scoop it up by the armful.
I have an abundance of pasture hay, too, if you want some of that.

Love some, Matt, if you can spare some!! Thanks!!

My birds get pine needles, both green and dried as well as other grasses including couch.

Zebman, do you find they use the pine needles much for the nest, and if so which part of the nest they are used in? I'm imagining they're used for lining, they can't be great building material...

[zebman]

Jay, i find that the hecks use them to build their nests in boxes provided, the double bars basically do the same in cane baskets but combine grasses as well, and the zebs, well they just fill cane nests with them and feathers.
I haven't seen the cubans, saints, emblemas or stars use alot of them, if any.

[Jayburd]

thanks Zebman I have long tails, and red brows (which I understand are similar in nesting habits to double bars) so I'll be icing pine needles a go

[finchbreeder]

I have couch grass woven nests appearing in several hanging baskets in the main avairy. Softer grasses and shreaded white tissues are proving popular as lining.
LML

[Niki_K]

I only have zebs, so I'm not sure about other species, but mine use (in addition to swamp grass) guinea grass, feathers, coconut fibres, strips of newspaper and occasionally cotton balls (I pull it apart into small pieces, and they love it). They also seem to like certain types of leaves from branches that I put in the aviary.

[branchez]

Any pliable grasses work Hesion is good for cup nesters but wont hold form for dome nesters.

Had a pair of Cubans that built their whole nest out of hessian, needless to say it collapsed before they layed.

[Jayburd]

Thanks guys

[finchbreeder]

Centre basket of the 3 tier one has gum twigs and leaves, woven round with couch and other "weed" grasses, so densly that I couldn't even see an entry. Yesterday a wriggle and the Ruddie hen bursts out the side. My boy is very happy with her Pete
LML

[COUNTRY CAPITAL]

matty is on the mark jaybird.
that blown grass that builds up against fences etc is an excellent alternative to the real swamp grass(which is softer).
often it also has seed still attached and many finches adore it for it's treat value as well.