Nesting Box Materials Question

[MichelleNonCompliant]

I use hay. My girls always build a nest, and all 6 lay in the same spot.

 

[DeAZ]

I have tried hay, but I found that nesting pads work the best with my ladies. I have two, and they use the same nest box. They can still make their own nest with it. They kick the hay out of the nest box.

 

[BDutch]

I have tried hay, but I found that nesting pads work the best with my ladies. I have two, and they use the same nest box. They can still make their own nest with it. They kick the hay out of the nest box.

I wondered how these pads look like and what they are made of. My animal/gardening shop doesn’t sell nesting pads so bought a new package of hay again which work fine for me too.

At home I searched for it on the internet. It seems most are made from plastic and a few made from washable natural fibres like Coconut fiber material.

I don’t know what you are using, but did it ever occur to you that new plastic pads release formaldehyde (Volatile organic substances) which is unhealthy and chickens are even more vulnerable for it than humans.

 

[DeAZ]

I wondered how these pads look like and what they are made of. My animal/gardening shop doesn’t sell nesting pads so bought a new package of hay again which work fine for me too.

At home I searched for it on the internet. It seems most are made from plastic and a few made from washable natural fibres like Coconut fiber material.

I don’t know what you are using, but did it ever occur to you that new plastic pads release formaldehyde (Volatile organic substances) which is unhealthy and chickens are even more vulnerable for it than humans.

Mine are made of aspen fibers and have a brown paper back. I got them on Amazon. I don't like to use plastic. They are flat, but the chickens get into the nest box and dig at it until they have a nice bowl shaped depression.

 

[Mrs. K]

I made nesting pads with old feed sacks and stuffed them with hay. My BA promptly went to creating a nest on the floor. It took me a while to figure it out, as the new pullets were also laying on the floor in the hardest place to get them.

Last week, I pulled them out, went back to lining the nest with a snug piece of cardboard, and putting hay on top of that, with a fake egg and EVERYONE is back to laying in the nests!

Chickens... but who are crazy - the hens or the old hen taking care of them?

Mrs K

 

[BDutch]

made nesting pads with old feed sacks and stuffed them with hay.

The sacs were probably to smooth and slippery. A folded old bath towel is probably just as good as the nesting pads people buy. And washable too.

Nice in summer in prevention or the battle against red mites. Especially with a thin layer of foodgrade DE underneath.

If you’re afraid of the DE dust you can make a paint with it and paint the inside or mix the DE with playground sand.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well no, there were not that kind of feed bag. It was a feed bag that the local feed store sells grain in. But they didn't like them.

I have done well with lining them with cardboard, and if there is a wreck, like a broken egg - throw it all away.