Bedding in nest boxes?

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I use grass clippings and coastal hay. Left overs from the horses. The boxes are milk crates and coke crates but they prefer the cocoa cola crates and the hay never gets scratched out. Just platted down a bit.

coke hen?

 

[gallinamama]

Quote:
I am a bit perplexed.

I read that chickens like a closed in nest. then I go to my neighbor... that has raised chickens all her life.. and she sort of laughed at me trying , as she says too hard, at raisning these chickens

she has open nests sort of like you do, and she has never heard of putting a fake egg in the nest to coax them to lay eggs in the nests... she laughed and said when they need to lay an egg they will find the nest themselves... now I feel a bit silly....

I told her I clean the coop almost everyday and bleach it out at least once a week... she said it wasn't necessary. I think that part is...

she is a 75 years old Italian lady ,so I think she must know what she is talking about

I love my chickens and want to do the best for them... they are going to do their best for me.

My chickens are now 16 weeks old... I have one rooster... she says I have another two.. but they were all hatched at the same time... and no other one is crowing.. My sister in law who also raised chickens says I only have one rooster. I wish I could post the pictures on the message board... I haven't figured that one out yet... but I did get "my page" done.

If you can give me some help it would be appreciated...

 

[SGM]

I've had closed in and open boxes and they will use whatever you offer. I've used stuff as cheap as old cardboard boxes to milk crates to old litter boxes (sanatized of course). Whatever I happen to have and will fit the bill. Right now we have a six-hole hen box but I'm going to remove it. I only have 4 hens and on a rare occasion I get an egg, but they break and eat it ASAP so the boxes are getting rank. So I'm going to take the big boxes out and put in one make-shift box instead that I can rig where they can't eat the egg(s).

 

[gallinamama]

Quote:
Thank you so much... so it really doesn't matter.. the chickens will do what ever it wants to.

I just need to keep reading these posts. and do the best that I can... my "H" has never supported me in anything. he said today that if the dang chickens do not give us eggs he will plow the whole thing down...

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
Thank you so much... so it really doesn't matter.. the chickens will do what ever it wants to.

I just need to keep reading these posts. and do the best that I can... my "H" has never supported me in anything. he said today that if the dang chickens do not give us eggs he will plow the whole thing down...

gallinamamma: we're standing with you here. Good luck.

 

[tobin123]

pine shaving in both.we have no problems and it helps keep odor and flies down

 

[Green_Eggs_and_Ham]

Pine shavings over hay... no problems.

E/

 

[AKsmama]

Thanks for your thoughts, guys! I think when the time comes, I'll try pine bedding first, as that's what I'm using for litter. If that doesn't work for some reason, I'll find some hay.

 

[HHandbasket]

I use mixed wood shavings and alfalfa hay for bedding. It appears to be working out very well, though truth be told, the alfala hay seems a little superfluous now that the girls are free ranging. I probably will switch to just the wood shavings for bedding when this bale of hay is gone. It attracts a lot of bugs & is a pain in the butt to mess with, and the girls seem to be fine with just wood shavings in some of the boxes.

Nobody is laying yet, though. We have old wooden crates for nesting boxes that sit on an old bookshelf we bought for $10 off craigslist and stuck it in the chicken run.