I have seen on here some mention saving threads and little bits of fabric to put out for the birds to use in making nests. I am just wondering what time of year and where do you put them. Thanks to all for your input.

I chop them up with my rotary cutter and put some out in the spring when the birds are coming back.

Usually in the spring when they are building nests.

Is there a special place outside or several places?

Make sure you cut them into short pieces (3" or so). Longer pieces can cause trouble if an animal decides to eat it.

I sprinkle then on the bushes and place them near a water spot, I also have an old bird feeder that is flat that I out them on.

Am sure someone with more information will add something to this thread. Had heard about string not being strong enough. Also, could strangle the new birdies if they get caught in it. Perhaps bits of fabric is better.

With everything there is PRO's and CON's..

I use a 'cutie' orange bag- mesh like bag with big holes so they can pull out a sliver of fabric.. Mine stays up for a while.. never know when a birdie loses a nest and needs to re-build..


downside I've heard but doesn't deter me:

wont dry like twigs and baby birds freeze to death :roll:
baby birds mistake thread for food and choke.. :roll:
im sure someone else will chime in with more negatives...

I have never thought about putting out fabric or thread.

I do put out the dogs hair from when I brush them (and there is lots of that). ;)

Dryer lint is good to. I use those net bags that vegies come it sometimes.

I read about someone who put out only metallic fabric, gold and silver. They had a hard time spotting the bird's nests and wanted to be able to bird watch easier - so the gold and silver fabric made the nests easier to spot and enjoy watching.

I sprinkle them over my woodpile at all times of the year, just whenver my snip bag gets full. They do seem to appreciate it. It's fun to sit and watch them come "shopping."

I mostly do spring and fall.

I tried it and they blew all over the yard.

I use a SUET cage...keep it up all year...they take it when they need it...

I use a mesh veggie bag, and put small snippets of fabric in it. Don't do thread, as I don't want the babies to eat it.

It isn't just the eating. If you have a string long enough to catch on a tree limb, the bird is also in trouble. It could get wound around a leg of even it's body and it never could get loose. I say this happen when a lady hung washed fabrics on the line to dry and a bird found it was a lot of fun to unravel the thread. Fortunately we were ab le to unwind the bird and safe the life.

I use to do that until one day a found a baby bird hanging out of the bird house with it feet tangled in the thread. I no longer do this and let them find there own nesting material..

If you do this be careful there aren't any long threads which might entangle the birds. We rescued a bird once that had become tangled in some thread and the thread had disabled his wing until we removed it.

I really like this idea!

Here's a funny addition to a bird's nesting material. Last year while I was reading quietly on my (open) porch swing, a little bird landed on my head and gently started rooting around for loose hairs and flew away with some. This happened 3 times and I chuckled all the while hoping it wouldn't do any business on my head while there. After telling my husband about it, the next day the same thing happened to him while he was reading. It was so cute. It was a tufted titmouse.

around my neck of the woods it's not cold enough for baby birds to freeze - it's spring.

My mother used to put leftover yarn on the pine branches in the early spring. They loved it.

This is a good use of scraps and snippets. will give it a try.:)

I always clean my lint catcher in the dryer after the weeks washing. You can put that out too in the early spring when birds are looking for material for bird nest building.
IdahoSandy

I put batting that is cut into tiny pieces. I used to use my Dog Hunter's fur and I sometimes use thread, cut in very small lengths. I keep mine out all year and put the "stash" in a metal suet holder. A goldfinch has been taking the leftover fur and string out of it for a few weeks to build her nest.

We used to have a cotton hammock and the chickadees would pull fibers out for their nests.

Early spring, when the birds are building nests.

Cut the scraps longish and narrow. The birds weave them!
That shape, like snippets of yarn, are easier for the birds to poke and weave into a nest.

I did this when my daughter had a new litter of hamsters, way back when (in the early 90's). They loved the bits of fabric and thread for nesting BUT we ended up untangling tiny, fragile baby hamster legs from thread and one ended up with three legs when it was all over; the 4th leg had the circulation cut off for too long. I just can't put out thread for any species after that trauma! I put out small scraps but not thread leftovers.

I usually put out in the spring March/April May at latest. My great dgranddaughter found a nest today that had fallen out of one of our trees. We saw dog, cat and horse hair in it. Some thin ribbons and string. Also some of the crinkle paper strips used in gift wrapping. This builder was bery busy decorating her nest with different things. Take care.
Linda

Late winter, early spring. The thread, but not the scraps. If it rains, the scraps stay damp and can make the nest moldy