Live chickens and wool batting
 

I am a beginner / intermediate quilter. I just finished a quilt with wool batting. Wool is expensive and I hate to toss unusable in the trash. I was wondering if chickens would use it in their nests for winter. My friend has a few chickens and thinks if there were any chemical's in the batting since the chickens walk around in chicken poop battings should not hurt them. Would chickens use this to line their nests? This has been a hot topic among us suburbia quilters. Thanks Judy

I have chickens, and have never seen them make a nest. If I have straw in the nest box, they'll scratch it to make a dip to set in. They will scratch dirt to make a dip to set in. But they do not bring material into an area to build a nest. Some people I know save up tiny scraps to fill dog beds they make for shelters, perhaps this would be a more appropriate use for it.

I'd think it would be good in pincushions and mug rugs.

Chickens do nest but they are not gathers like birds that fly. And when I suggested about throwing some of my scraps out for birds I was told it was not a good thing to do by Rangers in Yosemite. Can't remember the exact reason but was told not to do it, so I don't anymore. I agree with Zozee, use it to make other smaller items. A friend of mine took my left over batting for purses.

Re: thread/fab scraps for birds nests......a no- no because thread could wrap around fledglings legs, throat......and scraps of fabric do not dry as quickly as the dried foliage, grasses, twigs the birds naturally use, hence pneumonia.....
That's what I understand.....

First time I have heard this! I'll stop leaving my strings and threads outside for the birds. drat. I hope I haven't inadvertently caused a poor quality of life for the critters.

How large are the wool scraps? I was going to get rid of some batting scraps and then realized I could cut them down into 6.5" squares for a rag quilt cut with the Accuquilt rag quilt die. Wool batting would work well for this purpose.

It's true that fabric scraps (and even cotton batting scraps) are not good for birds. They retain moisture too long compared to twigs and grasses, which means that baby birds develop pneumonia.

I don't save really small scraps of batting and fabric anymore. Some people do collect them and, when they have enough, use them to stuff small pet beds. Some animal shelters will take that type of pet bed (call first, though, as shelters vary in what they want).

Assuming your batting is needled (sort of like felt, but fluffier) you could sew the pieces together. Wool is a great filler for pot holders.

Don't know about chickens but it would make fabulous pages in needle books.

If you don't want them,offer them for sale on this board. Someone will want them!