Can I use orchard grass hay as nesting box material?

[Emily_loveschickens]

Hello,
I was just wondering if orchard grass has is a good nesting box material?
Thanks!

 

[3KillerBs]

I can't think why it wouldn't be.

 

[blackdog043]

Yes you can use hay, straw, pine shavings, they even have mats you can place inside nesting boxes. If you don't like what your using, you can always change it out.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Is it fresh cut? I ask only cause fresh cut hay straight from the field can hold a little more moisture and when it gets wet from their poo it can smell bad and need changing more frequently than other types of bedding such as straw.

Store bought bales may be a little drier and you may get a little longer life out of it.
You can use almost anything as bedding. Ive used pine straw (needles) from our tree when there is enough, dry leaves in the fall (always enough), wood chips, grass clippings (never again) and straw. Virtually anything can be used but some things may be better or worse than others.

 

[Carson213]

Hello,
I was just wondering if orchard grass has is a good nesting box material?
Thanks!

yes. that's what we used exclusively forever

 

[neo71665]

I use the clipppings out of my field (basically tall grass) but the hens scratch it out as fast as I can put it in. I've also used pine straw with the same results.

 

[Emily_loveschickens]

Is it fresh cut? I ask only cause fresh cut hay straight from the field can hold a little more moisture and when it gets wet from their poo it can smell bad and need changing more frequently than other types of bedding such as straw.

Store bought bales may be a little drier and you may get a little longer life out of it.
You can use almost anything as bedding. Ive used pine straw (needles) from our tree when there is enough, dry leaves in the fall (always enough), wood chips, grass clippings (never again) and straw. Virtually anything can be used but some things may be better or worse than others.

No it is a bale

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes, you can. Any hay will do just fine. Straw is even better. As noted above, dry is good. Coops already have enough moisture concerns, you don't want damp/moist nesting material encouraging mildew or mold growth in the dark corner of your chicken house where the birds are depositing their eggs.

You should NOT have poop in your nesting boxes. If you do, there's a problem. It may be a sick bird, it may be a behavioral problem with an individual, but more likely, its a problem with the design of the hen house itself. By choice, hens will roost in the highest spaces, and poop from there while they sleep. If you have hens consistently pooping in the nesting boxes, chances are, your roosting bars aren't high enough, don't provide adequate space for your flock size, or are not being used for some other reason... Meaning time to do some detective work.

...and finally, quite common for birds to scratch out nesting materials, so pick something that works with your flooring material and waste management system. I use hay in the nesting boxes. Cheap, Abundant, dry, no sticks - did I mention cheap??? The floor is deep bedding of leaf litter. The run is deep litter. They all compost together, working as as system.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Yes, you can. Any hay will do just fine. Straw is even better. As noted above, dry is good. Coops already have enough moisture concerns, you don't want damp/moist nesting material encouraging mildew or mold growth in the dark corner of your chicken house where the birds are depositing their eggs.

You should NOT have poop in your nesting boxes. If you do, there's a problem. It may be a sick bird, it may be a behavioral problem with an individual, but more likely, its a problem with the design of the hen house itself. By choice, hens will roost in the highest spaces, and poop from there while they sleep. If you have hens consistently pooping in the nesting boxes, chances are, your roosting bars aren't high enough, don't provide adequate space for your flock size, or are not being used for some other reason... Meaning time to do some detective work.

...and finally, quite common for birds to scratch out nesting materials, so pick something that works with your flooring material and waste management system. I use hay in the nesting boxes. Cheap, Abundant, dry, no sticks - did I mention cheap??? The floor is deep bedding of leaf litter. The run is deep litter. They all compost together, working as as system.

Exactly right on the scratching out of the nesting boxes. Mine do so especially when the coop has just been cleaned. I usually have to go back and add more bedding.

My favorite bedding for nesting boxes are wood planer shavings. This is very specific, i know, but i save them from my work shop (free) just for this purpose. They cannot be scratched out and so always provide cushion for the eggs. They are that happy medium being finer than chips but much coarser than saw dust. Never use saw dust by the way. It absorbs moisture, clumps and sticks to the floor, and takes a long time to dry out if ever.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I did try cutting and drying grass for nest box hay before, but I guess I must've ended up making some especially tasty hay, because my birds were just eating it instead of sitting in it. I guess I should've chopped it up for safety but oh well, went back to shavings.