Birds Kicking Out Nesting Box Materials

[PinkyZChickenZ]

Hello, I have read previous threads on this subject. I use pine shavings, hay and a hay straw mixture as bedding and coop materials. I have a hutch off the ground which has a run under it as well as 12 feet in front of it, covered. My 6 nesting boxes have a slight lip and are sectioned off. The birds keep kicking everything out of the nesting boxes onto the pullout board. How do I deter this since they could lay any day now and I do not want broken eggs, Suggestions??

 

[meowoui]

Our hens do the same thing, what is surprising is that we hardly ever get a broken egg. I have watched the hen stand up
drop the egg on the hard nesting box (since they pushed out the material) did not break, when you get your first egg and go
and crack open you will see how hard it is to crack. Hens like to have the material around them but not under them, why who knows
I can't get them to tell me why the do that

Karen

 

[szczur]

I'm having the same problem with my pullets who are starting to lay. The layers go in a make a nest and the ones who aren't quite there yet like going in and scratching the hay out. I duct taped some thick rubber shelf liner to the bottom so they aren't cracking eggs or pooping on the wood. You could also use outdoor carpet or mat!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

One of the many reasons I use long dried grass. Also known as hay. It mats into a monolithic nest that can't be kicked out. It's matted and twisted to form a hat. I turn it over as it starts to soil over time so get long use from small amount in each nest.

 

[WRanch]

I solved this problem by using sawdust in their nesting boxes. They can't kick it out and cleaning out the poo they leave is easy since I use a cat litter scoop.

BTW, chicken poo is great in gardens...flower or veggie.

 

[Hholly]

I have one hen who pulls out pieces of straw and tries to put them on her back, for some reason. Lol. They're goofy creatures. I just keep putting the straw back.

 

[meowoui]

Some times I will see a hen do the same thing with throwing a leaf or hay or whatever it may be, I just figured that was their
way of making the nest more comfy around them.

 

[harmesonfarm]

I'm having the same issue...I use pine shavings which so far is the only material i found that they won't remove entirely out of the nesting boxes. What I do still find though is their digging it out to make a nest and are laying onto the hard floor...I have started to come across a few cracked eggs, no good!

I'm wondering if their doing that to nest but I'm not supplying a deep enough area for them to comfortably do so and still have some covering the floor. I'll be trying to double the amount I add in, hopefully that helps.

Hope you find a solution! No one wants broken eggs when your so excited to finally have your pullets begin to lay!

 

[Choco Maran]

I have heard you can use outdoor carpeting or AstroTurf and that will work. Easy to clean just take it out and hose it down. They can not kick that out.

 

[mumerclucker]

Im having same problem, girls keep kicking out straw and ripping up the newspaper underneath straw, keep putting it back. i have tried wood shaving in half of nesting boxes but they stop using them and just use straw boxes. going to try swapping all boxes over to shaving tomorrow morning and see if that works might have to buy some plastic eggs to help them along