Nesting material question

[schmije]

We use shavings on the floor of the coop and in the nest boxes. We used to use straw, but we began to have problems with cracked eggs and lots of poop on the eggs. We decided to try the shavings, and we've hardly had any cracked eggs since we switched. There's also a lot less poop on the eggs. We just throw in a couple of handfulls and fluff it up every few days.

 

[MrsChickendad]

We cut down some of the tall grass in our field and let it dry. Then went out with the pitchfork and little trailer and piled it in loose and right into the coop. The girls were ecstatic! The grass and weed seeds were lots of entertainment and the grass is fine enough for nest boxes. And the best part is it is free!

 

[cmom]

I live in Florida. In the summer it's hot and rains pretty much every day. I find that pine shaving work best for me. Also, since spanish moss is so available, I use it in the nest boxes with pine shavings underneath. I sprinkle FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous Earth (DE) all around the coop and in the nest boxes. I change the spanish moss every couple of months, but I sprinkle DE in it every couple of weeks. I don't let the girls sleep in the boxes. I don't have any problem with poopy eggs. I do put grass clippings in an area of their free range area. Also when the leaves fall I put the leaves in their area. They love to scratch around in them. I also put alfalfa in their area and they pick the green leaves off till just the straw part is left. They scatter it all over. If their is any grass growing in the area where the alfalfa is, the grass will die.

I guess it's different for different parts of the country, and what is available where ever you live.