Clean Dry Eggs - Best Nesting Material, DE and Fine Smaller Sawdust

Rip Canon

Chirping
5 Years
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Hello,

When I find something that works well I am compelled to share:

After trying several and various nesting materials over the years I find small pine sawdust works best. The larger shavings have sharp, hard, edges and bigger chunks of wood mixed in, hay isn't very dense and can be bug friendly.

IMPORTANT: Buy 100% Diatomaceous Earth, food grade. Essentially this is hyper absorbent CaC03, (calcium carbonate) of tiny zooplankton harvested ( mined ) from an old lake or sea bed. Sprinkle and mix DE into the sawdust in the nest box, mix well by turning sawdust well with gloved hand. Lice/mites HATE this stuff, it kills them by desiccation, and the next box is dry, clean and the DE gets up into feathers while they lay for added pest control, keeps eggs dry and clean and each box dry and "fluffy." My two Cents from Ponte Vedra, Florida. :)
 
Thanks! I don’t have sawdust but I forgot about DE. I’m using medium flakes till I can get something else. My girls are 18 weeks. I want to be sure they have something in which to lay. They may take many more weeks, but I’ll be at least ready for today. Happy Independence Day (if it applies)!
 
While DE might help deter pests, it's not worth the respiratory risk IMO.
 

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