nesting material

[Barbara9642]

looking for some ideas- i have a nice coop, wonderful nesting boxes. I am using old straw for nesting material, but its getting to the time of the year the snakes start sneaking around. I HATE sticking my hands in the straw looking for eggs- they like to hide them on me- any other ideas what I can use in my boxes? I actually have dollar general litter boxes inside the nest boxes- easeir to clean and I stopped having eggs roll out. I don't want any of my girls to broody- I eventually want to get an incubator and hatch my own as I choose.

Thanks!

 

[Barbara9642]

Bump- any suggestions guys? thanks

 

[Judy]

Don't see how you're going to avoid the feeling in the litter for eggs, and still have enough padding to prevent eggs from breaking when they drop them (at least, mine stand and drop them when they lay.) I suppose you could use old folded bath towels, or a few layers of those rubbery padded-feeling sheets of shelf liner, but it won't feel like nesting material to them, and they might stop using the nests. Any litter material is fine, straw, pine shavings, coir, rice hulls, shredded paper, whatever you can get that's not cedar -- but you still would have to feel around in it.

 

[Barbara9642]

I don't mind feeling around something that I can SEE. In the straw, I simply cannot see down in the box. I have one hen that likes to bury her eggs. Don't mind it really, except for the snakes. Don't really mind the snakes, just do NOT want to stick my hand in a pile of straw to find one. I wasn't sure if I could use wood shavings, I have always just used the straw. This is the first year I have one hiding them on me, so it never bothered me before.

 

[Ellie]

I use pine shavings. It works well.

 

[logansmommy7]

Won't chickens eat snakes if they see them??? Maybe I am being naive...haha.