Covered cat litter box as nesting box?

[ElfenLied89]

I have a cat litter box my cats don't use anymore, due to them being indoor outdoor cats now. They prefer to go in the wild I guess lol.

It's a large one with the flap. Would it make a good nesting box for pullets just starting to lay? Would they hop right in? Do they need a little ramp? How much bedding should I use? And should I use flakes or straw? They currently have flakes with straw on top in their sleeping area and the brood lamp is on at night and in the morning if they need it. It gets down to 35 here minimum. We live in the south.

 

[GreenJay]

I would use straw for nesting material and put a fake egg in there. And show it to the pullet that started laying.
If they can step or hop into it, shouldn't need a ramp, most of those litter boxes have a low step in area but I'd remove the flap.

 

[Penpal]

Always used straw. They like to fluff it up.

 

[Tahai]

Staw for sure, litter box is great.
Also, if your pullets are close to laying, they no longer need a brooder lamp.
I would advise removing that fire hazard from your coop ASAP.
35 degrees is no problem for fully feathered chickens, as long as you have enough ventilation and no moisture build up in your coop.