help

[issy500]

how do you keep straw in your nesting boxes? Every morning my little girl puts straw in the boxes and within 10 min the chickens have pulled it all out. My boxes are 10" x 12" x 12" and have a 2" lip along the bottom and sides to keep the straw in but they just pick it out of there. Last couple of days have had a few eggs break because of no straw. please help

 

[ranchhand]

Mine do the same thing! I had some thin foam sheets from a box of oranges, so I put them under the straw. Pop them out for a washing regularly. They seem to stop before they get to the foam.

Good luck!

Oh! And

from South Carolina!

 

[MsMelvin]

Ditto for my girls...I put another board across the front (higher front lip) so they cannot see the hay while walking past. It seems they live for the moment; out of sight, out of mind, so to speak. Anyhow, it worked.

Can you lift the boxes higher; that might be another option...

 

[issy500]

Boxes are three feet off the ground. I thought about foam but I was worried they would eat it.

 

[Uppity Peon]

How about some pine shavings instead of straw?
You could use a piece of carpet if you can get ahold of some scraps or samples. My chickens do seem to enjoy eating foam.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I had scrap alfalfa hay in mine for a while (free from the feed store), but I just switched them to pine shavings and they seem to love it.

 

[iread]

I was having the same problem and built more of a lip on the outside of the box to keep the straw inside. They have to work much harder to push it out so more of it is staying inside. It is really hot here so they don't spend lots of time inside the coop lately. I'll probably have to figure something else out when it gets cooler...the shavings idea is a possibility!