Straw or Tobacco stalks

[celtic]

Advise needed as i have'nt spoken to Dr James White for a wee while !! what's best  ? straw or tobacco and what are the reasons for your preferences ?

Cheers

Celtic

[bewted]

tobacco stalks as insects dont like them and straw being hollow can hide them,personal opinion,hope it helps,,,ted

[perk]

i use straw and hay but spray them with malt vinager( gets rid of bugs) two good fliers i know used stalks last year they had young ones tangled in them,most likely used them to long ?  

[Guest Silverwings]

we allways use tobacco stalks ,we place some in the nest bowl ,and after a week or so .allow them to carry more of them into the box, once the birds have been sitting on them the heat of their body dries them and moulds them into a strong nest, this prevents the squabs from having spread leggs (deformed during growth ) as it allows them a firm foothold under there parents . they also keep red mite away and feather lice , ie; more contentment for the youngsters ......ray

[Guest shadow]

Tobacco stalks keeps mites at bay , whereas straw harbours northern mites from the fields plus could have had rats and mice crawling all over it in storage.

[celtic]

Looks like it will be Tobacco then.

[westburylofts]

 

HAVE TO SAY WE USE  TOBACCO STALKS AS WELL

FIND IT IS THE BEST THING FOR US,

 

HAVE ALSO USED THE NEST FELTS AS WELL, FOUNED THE GOOD TOO

 

RAY

[Chatrace]

I like the long needles from pine. They also keeps the bugs away and the cost is much better. ya just need a rake and plastic bag.

[jimmy white]

sorry celtic had a wee bit bother with computer,but answer in all posts above i was going to try the pine needles but unfortunately, couldnt collect them, tobacco stalks are about the best, straws, dodgy, as shadow says, it can also cause aspergiliosis when foosty [scottish word i think]this year i have clean shavings in and collected bits of pine twigs, gave it a spray first, but thats just due to circumstances, the birds look comfortable enough, and most layed at about the same time  doc ;D ;D ;D

[carl]

I would say use tabacco stalks the birds love them and dont stop till they have picked up everyone of them,i fould the stalks are better when snapped in half.I was told straw could carry disease.

Whats  aspergiliosis jimmy,how would it harm the birds.

 

[jimmy white]

aspergiliosis is a sort of fungus that can get in to the pigeons respiratory system , if you look up the web youll get more info

lovely photos carl , birds look very happy

[Guest CS]

Tobacco stalks

[gangster]

the belgians and dutch use pea straw ............

[Tony C]

I use tobacco stalks.

 

Tip from an old fancier that uses straw. He keeps his dogends & breaks them up and puts the tobacco in their nests, keeps the creepy-crawly's out.

[THE FIFER]

like a wee bit of the stalks but like the staw better, so long as they have plenty of it in the bowl

[Guest TAMMY_1]

a nest felt in every bowl and then tobacco stalks thrown round about the loft

[Guest]

I have never used tobacco stalks so cannot comment on their use. The reason that I have never used them is that 'tobacco' is one of the plants listed as harmful to pets / birds.

 

100% agree on hollow farm straw thing. Mine is pre-packed barley straw bought from pet shop, one bale around £4 does me all season, clean, shortish and flat as a pancake. Soon as birds soil it, its out.

 

The birds also bring in pine twigs cuttings which I leave after cutting the leylandii hedge.

 

Quite content insects are now kept at bay since I started to use Harkers Loft Conditioner ... eucalyptus in it which is an insect repellant. Usually get an odd moth and housefly about the nests this time of year ... this year nuffink.

 

 

 

 

[chickadee]

We use tobacco stalks although we have also used hay too but i think the birds prefer the tobacco. ( It must be the addiction, they are now hooked on tobacco).  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[chickadee]

We use tobacco stalks although we have also used hay too but i think the birds prefer the tobacco. ( It must be the addiction, they are now hooked on tobacco).  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

Maybe have to put nicotine patches on the young birds to wean them out the nest. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[ALF]

Nest felts and then put both straw and tobacco stalks in and let them get on with choosing what they want to build the nest with

[GREENGRASS]

tobacco stalks for me ......no hollow centres for little critters to hide in.

[Guest]

Quite content insects are now kept at bay since I started to use Harkers Loft Conditioner ... eucalyptus in it which is an insect repellant. Usually get an odd moth and housefly about the nests this time of year ... this year nuffink.

 

 

After posting this bit remembered I installed an electronic gizmo in the close season one function is to repel insects. Either which one, seems to be doing the trick.  

 

 

[madmaxlofts]

i use straw coz im as tight as