Horse hair in nesting boxes?

[joduh]

My horses are shedding like crazy. Can I use the hair (body hair not mane/tail) in our nest boxes? Or will the chickens ingest it? Thanks!

 

[eggbert420]

I would not recommend it.

 

[Hokum Coco]

My horses are shedding like crazy. Can I use the hair (body hair not mane/tail) in our nest boxes? Wild birds will use your excess hair. Or will the chickens ingest it? It is possible. I would not use it it can cut off circulation in toes of chickens once it comes entangled.

Nest boxes
In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit (nest boxes are 1 ft³). When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new. Feed bags are a nylon mesh bag.
Frozen poop just peels off in below freezing temperatures and just flakes off in summer when left out in the sun to bake and dry.

I have 65 trips around the sun it is the best method I have stumbled upon.

Make sure the twine is removed from the open end of the bag it can get tangled around your birds.



I hold the bag in place with these paper binders.

Easy Peasy Japaneasy

 

[Zoomie]

Shedded horsehair is very short, so I don't think it would wrap around their toes or anything. I suppose you could use it, but it will have a lot of dust and dander in it. I personally prefer to use something like wood shavings. Every day I pick out any poop (I wear gloves) and try and keep the nest boxes as clean as possible. That's the only downside I see in using shed horsehair: the dust and dander. I like my hens to lay on relatively clean material, if possible. On the other hand, every year, I find lots of nests of wild birds blown down by the wind, some built entirely of horsehair.

 

[joduh]

I use hay in my boxes, but I was wondering if a layer of fur would be appreciated by the ladies. But then, I worried that it might get stuck in their beaks and accidentally ingested. Sounds like I should just toss it.