How often should you change out your nesting material?

[MrRoy]

My girls kick a lot of it out over time and when I replace it they tend to gravitate towards the older nests rather than the fresh ones.

 

[GreenGoddess]

I can feel you on this one.. My solution was to use a 1x2 across the front of the two top nest boxes they use to help keep more of the pine shavings in.. I've had it in place about 3 weeks and haven't had to refill them yet! Also, before I had to do that, I always used enough shavings in the top two and then threw some more in the bottom two also and I've only ever found one egg in the bottom.. They have always used the top two boxes otherwise.. Might help them stick to the same boxes for you...

Goddess

 

[ther00ster'scr0w]

I basically change it when it's dirty or I can see the bottom of the nest box, or when the girls protest

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I stopped using nesting material because the girls kicked it out every day.
I now use just a piece of fuzzy car mat in the nestbox. When it looks soiled
just gather them all up and throw in the washer and dryer.

 

[annie3001]

I change ours about once a week. .. or if it looks more like small grass clippings,, i def change them. we just have 2 boxes, so its a bit easier.

 

[mdbokc]

I change it when I change the coop bedding 9-12 months, whether they need it or not. Usually, the hens will turn them upside down once every six months or so; new wood shavings go in then as the nest shavings add to the coop floor.

 

[elmo]

A friend of ours lost some chicks last summer to mites infesting the bedding in a nestbox...so this summer I'm probably going to obsessively change the shavings every few days and refresh the DE.