Nest box bedding

[mrsgibber]

What does everyone use in their nest boxes? When I first put the chicks in I had some pine shavings in there and they liked the boxes so much they started roosting an pooing in them. Now that they are closer to laying age I have put in hay and took off the burlap covering the boxes. I've tried putting a couple of the girls who look closest to laying an egg (nice an red comb/wattles) but they want nothing to do with them. Then haven't gone in them at all since I opened them up.

Is it ok to put pine shavings instead of hay or straw?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Pine shavings, hay, straw, dried grass clippings. I even have seen where someone is using Spanish moss. I use straw but have heard that they like to scratch out the pine shavings. That may just be a certain chicken in a certain nest.

You might try putting a fake egg in the nest, a golf ball, plastic egg, wooden egg, something to make them think this is a great place to lay.

 

[LavenderAndRoses]

I'm a newbie, but I'm pretty sure it's okay to use pine shavings. It's what we use in our coop and in the nest box. I also put a couple of golf balls in the nest box to give the chickies the "idea" of what to do in there. We only have one hen that is actually laying right now (the rest are close in age), but she seems to like it, golf balls and all.

 

[mrsgibber]

Ya, I think I'll change the hay out for pine shavings tonight. I do have the golf balls in there and I've been checking the coop and run everyday in hopes of finding that first egg!! I've been waiting so long it seems for them to be of age.

 

[Novice in New York]

MRSGIBBER
I have the same issue. I have 8, 15 week old who like to sleep in the nest boxes with the pine shavings.

They are not quite ready to lay, but I am worried that they will be in the habit and will not use the roost.

I will try the golf ball ploy as we live near a golf course and have hundreds of golf balls that land in our yard.
Thamks for bringing this issue up.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I prefer hay for the nesting box. I started out with hay and at one point this spring I thought it would be a good idea to switch to pine shavings. The girls did not think it was a good idea. They refused to lay in the boxes, in fact I don't think they would even get in the boxes. I wound up switching back to hay.

I did use shavings in a nest box for some girls I was fostering while my dad built his coop. I thought the shavings stuck to to the eggs too much so I switched their nest over to hay as well. I think pine shavings are too easy to kick out of the box and you need a lot of shavings to make a cushy spot for the girls to lay!!

It is really a matter of personal preference for both you and your girls!