How to keep the birds from throwing out the hay in their nesting boxes??

[ragerkid2]

That pretty much sums it up. They kick it all out and when they drop an egg it breaks. Only sometimes. But I wish they would leave it in there. The lip isn't very high. Many the height of 3 or 4 pencils stacked on top of each other.

 

[Den in Penn]

New layers? Try a higher lip; inch and a half isn't enough evidently. Put some padding in the bottom of the nest like a square of carpet or rubber to cushion the eggs even if they throw out all the hay.

 

[ragerkid2]

Not new layers just an annoying problem I'm addressing now. It's not every day but it happens.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

You need a deeper nest box.

 

[The Old Whittler]

I gave up on straw and wood shavings. They through both out of their nest boxes so I replaced it with carpet. My girls didn't seem to mind the carpet at all and it works really well.

 

[sourland]

You need a higher lip on your nest boxes.

 

[ragerkid2]

Thanks Everyone!!!

 

[bird boy]

The astro turf or green outdoor carpet works great. It cushions the eggs and can be shook or washed out when it gets dirty and best of all the hens will not remove it from the nest.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

My lip is 5" on every nesting box and it all stays right there. If there new hens they seem to scratch in there until they know what there doing.