Bedding Options?

[Skwishface]

Hi everybody!

So my girls are about 8 weeks old and happily be-boppin' around their A-frame coop/run. All is wonderful, except I'm a little concerned about their bedding. They've got plenty of hay to scratch around in and it looks nice and comfy in the henhouse where they bed down at night, but they kick it out like it's personally offended them. Since they're not laying yet, I figure I've got some time to figure out what bedding they'll actually keep in there. My concern is that they'll find some other spot in the coop besides the nesting boxes to lay their eggs (likesay, in the run, underneath the henhouse, where I can barely reach) because it's more cozy.

Can anyone recommend another kind of bedding that might be less offensive to these birds? Or that will at least resist being booted out, so the birds will lay where I needs 'em to lay?

If this info is posted elsewhere on the forum, please just give me a linky and pat me on the head.

Oh! Here's my coop, in case you're curious. It's made from reclaimed cargo pallets and scrap wood. I dig it.

 

[Den in Penn]

First off do you have a board across the bottom front of the boxes to keep the bedding and more importantly the eggs if the nest? Pullets often try to rearrange the nesting material before they start to lay. So its just them rearranging the furniture. Once they start to lay that will slow down, If you have a lip on the boxes you can just use a padding like carpet or a rubber mat. As they are nearing the point of lay if you haven't already put some training decoy eggs in the nests, wooden, ceramic, plastic or golf balls will work. I used real store bought eggs.

 

[chookhead]

i like to be traditional i reckon straw or hay

 

[Fierlin1182]

Our chickens love grass clippings, we put those in there every time we mow the lawn. As our coop doesn't have a floor except for the bare ground, the chickens just lay on that, it's very soft dirt and they like this too.
Ours neighbours use hay though, which is also very good.
I agree with using the lip on the nesting boxes.
If they're kicking it around, it doesn't necessarily mean they don't like it, they might be just having some fun foraging.

Anyhow, I love your coop. it's awesome.

 

[devora]

My girls rearrange their coop every day and when they get outside they rearrange the world. It's the natural scratch scratch they do and it won't matter what bedding you put in, they will scratch at it. It isn't offensive to them so no worries.

If the area were bigger you'd see they weren't moving it out they were merely moving it. When you let them out you'll see the same behaviour....allllll day.