Bedding!

[The Angry Hen]

As much as I LOVE my youngest hens...
They lay their eggs on wood so they get chipped

...
So I try to put Hay, Straw or Bedding and they eat it!

Does anybody have a suggestion for a type of bedding,
something soft that they WON'T eat?

They are stubborn sometimes...
Mostly Sussex!

-TAH

 

[BYCforlife]

Hello! Have you tried pine shavings? They are too big for my chickens to eat, and they smell good too. You can pick these up at UFA, possibly Peavey Mart, and many other farm stores.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Hello! Have you tried pine shavings? They are too big for my chickens to eat, and they smell good too. You can pick these up at UFA, possibly Peavey Mart, and many other farm stores.

Thanks!

I don't think I tried them yet.

What breeds do you have?

I will have to try that,
I hope my chickens won't eat that once I get it!

Have a good day!

-TAH

 

[BYCforlife]

No problem!

I have mostly heritage breed, 2 EE's, and two that I got from a friend, never tried to identify them.

 

[lazy gardener]

As much as I LOVE my youngest hens...
They lay their eggs on wood so they get chipped

...
So I try to put Hay, Straw or Bedding and they eat it!

Does anybody have a suggestion for a type of bedding,
something soft that they WON'T eat?

They are stubborn sometimes...
Mostly Sussex!

-TAH

I wonder how much bedding you have in your coop, and how much are you putting in your nest boxes? How big are your nest boxes, how tall is the front lip of the nest box? It sounds like they are looking for stuff to eat and stuff to do. You might give them a bale of hay in their coop or run to play with. As for the nest boxes, they should be about 12 x 12 x 12 inches, though they will appreciate even more space than that. The front lip of the boxes should be about 4" high, and there should be a perch in front of the box for them to jump on before entering the box, unless the box is at ground level. If you put a good thick layer of hay in the box, a minimum of 4" deep, that should last them for a while. I have to top off my boxes about every month or so.

Do you have any grass in your run? If not, perhaps you can start making sprouts for your birds, or simply give them clumps of sod. You can also convert your coop and run to deep litter, and that will satisfy their urge to dig and forage, thus sparing the nesting material.

 

[BYCforlife]

Thanks!

I don't think I tried them yet.

What breeds do you have?

I will have to try that,
I hope my chickens won't eat that once I get it!

Have a good day!

-TAH

Was this post from when we didn't know each other? Lol

 

[The Angry Hen]

Was this post from when we didn't know each other? Lol

I actually think so!! Wow, I was pretty quiet compared to now!
And I am really happy I ended up meeting you!

~K

 

[rosemarythyme]

As long as they aren't eating a large amount of bedding (or large pieces) it's not really that unusual. I use pine and aspen shavings and my girls nibble on them even though they have plenty else to snack on and dig through.

 

[The Angry Hen]

As long as they aren't eating a large amount of bedding (or large pieces) it's not really that unusual. I use pine and aspen shavings and my girls nibble on them even though they have plenty else to snack on and dig through.

Hello There,

Thank you very much! Yes, since then I have made this thread, things have been better with the bedding. Thank you for your response.

~The Angry Hen

 

[rosemarythyme]

Whoops didn't look at date of original post!