Need something soft to line the nesting boxes

[CoffeeCow]

So, I just got back from collecting eggs, and one of my ee's had moved all the nesting materials out of the way and dropped her egg on the bare wood...
What does everyone use on the bottom of the boxes?

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

You could get the hay mats.

 

[abhaya]

I use straw because I get it free from a farmer down the road. I give him a dozen eggs every 2 weeks more if he needs them.

 

[gryeyes]

I have a piece of old carpet under lots of pine shavings.

 

[Beckyinma]

From Home Depot I got one of those $2 front door mats, black one, about 16"x 24" and cut into 3 strips, makes 3 box liners. works great! and since it's indoor/outdoor, it can be hosed off and won't make a mess.

 

[Happy Chooks]

That drawer liner stuff works well too. It's a spongy material that people also use in their incubators when they hatch. And it's cheap.

 

[CoffeeCow]

ooh! I have some of that ..(somewhere) great idea

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
Not sure if this is the same stuff as what Happy Chooks is talking about but I know that they have foam craft sheets at Walmart that are really inexpensive. I might have to try this under my pine shavings. Since I put a board up in front of the nest boxes they don't kick all the shavings out any more either.

 

[Ohhhdear]

I shred up old newspapers in my paper shredder... it's warm, free bedding and it composts wonderfully!
As an added bonus, the long shreds entertain the girls. They throw them around like kids with streamers.

 

[Siler]

I do the same thing Ohhhdear.

I shred up old newspaper doesn't matter whether it's the sales ads or the regular paper. I shred it by hand. I had an incident once when I jammed it too much. I wont do that again so I do it by hand and it tears easily. It's cheap especially when I gather it from relatives each week. I pull out the old and put in the new. The girls almost giggle in it and it's fun to watch them disappear inside of the pile.