Best nesting box bedding for cleanest eggs?

[aart]

I never have to wash mine. I just shake them out, and they last forever.
Takes me 3 minutes to clean 5 large nest boxes.

Never had a broken egg in there?

 

[rayrose]

No.

 

[linguini]

Whenever there is wet weather outside - almost all eggs are dirty.

I think the key might be the path from outside to the nestbox. Not just the nesting box itself.

If you have some bedding that allows their feet to dry up/clean up on their way from outside to nesting box, they won't bring the dirt/mud/yack from outside to the nesting box. Even more important, no poop for them to step on before going to the nesting box (or reduce the chance of large patch of poop for them to step on, daily cleaning will help! )

Prevent them from roosting in the box is also key to keep a clean nesting box. When our chickens were young pullets , occasionally I'd see the a long poop that they couldn't hold while laying (there is an article about identify types of poops in BYC!) . But I haven't seen those poops since they became mature.

 

[linguini]

I think that it's more a matter of having enough clean, dry bedding in the coop for them to walk across than a matter of what's in the box -- assuming that they're not pooping in the box itself.

Exactly!!

 

[rayrose]

I've wondered about this. Do they scratch it up? I keep picturing them trying to make a "divot" in their nest. Do you use bedding on top of the astro turf?

This is thick artificial grass with a rubber backing. Some of them try to scratch it but soon give up. It's virtually indestructible. I don't use any bedding at all. Each piece is cut to the exact dimension of the bottom of the box and cannot be moved by the hen.

 

[Hermits Garden]

This is thick artificial grass with a rubber backing. Some of them try to scratch it but soon give up. It's virtually indestructible. I don't use any bedding at all. Each piece is cut to the exact dimension of the bottom of the box and cannot be moved by the hen.

I found some that will work great.

 

[Ted Brown]

agreed, but never possible. In our winter deep litter is either wet or frozen at best. And they do poop in the nest occasionally (or an egg breaks)

I was surprised to read this, but a bit confused as 3KillerBs used the term "deep bedding", you "deep litter" Are you referring to the coop or run?

My coop is never wet and therefore never frozen. I use drop boards cleaned daily; very little waste goes on the coop floor certainly not enough to soil feet.

My guess is that you are referring to your run area and that your birds are tracking mud/water in from there?

I started with my run under an elevated 10' by 16' coop, then expanded by building a pole shed with metal roof, a portion, 16' by 15', I enclosed with HC giving me a total of 16' by 25' run space. I use deep litter, in use for 3 years, augmented in the fall with leaves/pine needles/load of bedding from annual coop clean out. The run is never wet, therefore never frozen and aside from occasional fresh droppings that quickly dries/freezes does not accumulate anything that soils feet or bodies. My birds are confined all the time.

I have not read of people having to deal with chickens being dirty therefore never thought about it. Obviously it happens.

 

[Imataken]

I've been using hemp bedding since summer after trying all the other bedding options and I really like the hemp bedding I use a kitty litter scooper to get whatever dropping are in the coop and nesting box. I don't use it in the run I use horse stall pellets and woodchips

 

[myluckychucks]

I find straw to be best. I clean out any dirty nest boxes every morning. Straw for bedding too and in cold weather I throw scratch on the floor every once in a while and they keep the straw on the floor loose which makes for cleaner feet generally.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Best nest liner for us is with mini-flake pine shavings. We tried wood chips, straw, hay, and shredded paper with various degrees of failure. The mini-flakes stay fluffy, cushion the eggs well, and absorb moisture quickly from wet feet, poop, or broken eggs. It's also a great insulator for my broody hens who are sitting. Brushes off the eggs easily, and makes a nice gentle scrubbing agent for bits of dirt or poop stuck to the eggs. Scoops easily like cat litter to keep clean. I know there are warnings about mini-flakes not being good for chicks, but I've never had an issue. It's what the feed stores use to line their brooder boxes for new chicks, anyway. To be safe, I don't expose my brooder chicks to the mini-flakes; but on the other hand, my broody hens hatch their clutches in the mini-flakes and it's fine. (I still use large flakes outside of the nest box.) And it's cheap - a big bag lasts us 6 months for a flock of 50 hens.