Kicking hay out of nesting boxes

[ataylor995]

So I have just placed a new nesting box in the coop for my hens and they have kicked all of it out. I have made a lip in front to prevent this and they still manage to do so. I really want them to lay in it but I'm afraid that they won't since they continue to kick the hay out. What do I do?

 

[thebulg]

Put a little more in i suppose, but they might think it's too much! One of my girls recently climbed herself up to a storage shelving space and laid 7 eggs on straight plywood and sat on them to hatch! I put some old towels under the eggs when she got up so she wouldn't smash them, but 6 days later, she's still there! You could line the bottom of the nest box with a sheet of cardboard or an old folded towel if it would make you feel better about the softness! But mostly, trust your girls! They are playing and exploring and figuring out the texture and padding. They wont destroy their laying area too much