UkPigeonRacing

I never put anything in the nest bowls as nesting material but always have a pile of straw down in one corner to enable them to build their own nests.
This is where I have the straw, also showing the hen in her box next to the pile. This hen is your dark grizzle Buster and is paired to Steve the replacement blue pied cock. I have kept their eggs which should hatch early next week.
Another couple sat on their nests.
This pair are a pair that I wanted 2 rounds from. Their first round were moved under another pair and the hen should lay again today or tomorrow.
The cock has been busy taking straw into his hen. But when watching him this morning while cleaning out the cheeky cock couldn’t be bothered to fly down, he is in a top box, onto the floor and sort his own straw out. He was just going into the box next to his and pinching theirs lol.

All looking well Andy, I do the same just throw some straw or sometimes put it in a spare drinker does save a lot of mess, thing is if I took a pic of mine now hardly any straw in any of the bowls after putting half bag in, then spending next few day sweeping it back up with mess

They look happy enough Andy
I never used to put anything in the bowls either, just used to put loose straw in the loft. When the birds were on an open loft they would bring all sorts in, its amazing just what they would try to get in Their favoured materials were pine needles from our neighbours tree, that's gone now and having had to keep them in this year they have just had the straw. I have used nest felts again this year as well as the straw. What I have noticed over the years though is how very different some pairs nesting routines are Some just don't really bother making nests at all while some some go absolutely mad from day one and build nests that they can hardly sit on top of The other thing I've noticed is that some cock birds start the process of building nests when the hennis due to lay, some just after she has laid and others wait until the eggs are due to hatch. I've never yet managed to correlate this to whether it shows any sign that the birds (parents or babies) are no good though

I know what you are saying, Trev. I dont know if the best breeders are the best nest builders, but I suspect the pairs that cant be bothered to build a decent nest are the ones that start leaving the youngsters to their own devices early.
Just casting my mind around the stock birds I have here now, it seems like it could have something in it.

Murray wrote: ↑Fri Apr 07, 2023 8:48 am I know what you are saying, Trev. I dont know if the best breeders are the best nest builders, but I suspect the pairs that cant be bothered to build a decent nest are the ones that start leaving the youngsters to their own devices early.
Just casting my mind around the stock birds I have here now, it seems like it could have something in it.

you could be right Muzza.