Stuff to Put Inside Nesting Boxes? They Keep Pushing the Bedding Out :(

[Exopoulterer]

I had that problem with shavings so I changed the bedding material to aspen excelsior. It is cheap and easily managed, and the hens can compress a depression in the center to hold their eggs. It also composts well when past its usefulness.

The nesting pads I use are made of that. I guess it is just glued to a brown paper and they charge a premium for it. Thanks for the idea! I am on a mission to get some excelsior if my remaining pullet lays enough to have me run out of pads. (Mareks has been hard on my first little flock and The Nuzzler has not laid the past 2 days or today so I might be done with eggs for now. )

Big Red loved to scratch through the old used up nesting pads when I switched them out. She didn't ever scratch them out of the box, just if I removed them. I ended up with big tumbleweeds of excelsior in the run for the chickens to play with for a while as they all joined in the activity. It is good stuff with many uses. I used it when I used to raise mantids and fruit flies as well.

 

[Treat lady]

After more than a decade just using shavings or hay and thinking it sufficient (and cheap)...
I finally broke down one time with crazy POL pullets, and tried these nest pads.
View attachment 4306156

They actually really helped. No more buried eggs or shavings kicked out.
I think they work best not fluffed up. I just put them in as flat as possible. The pullets can try to kick, but they're standing on the other side, so it doesn't go anywhere. Take that, girls!
Although pricey, they last a long time.

Alternatively, back when I had my horse and plentiful long strand hay on hand (Orchard was best)... I used to pre-spin a hollow nest bowl for the pullets. Upon finding it, they were pleased enough not to mess with it.

I had tried these and my rooster pulled all but one of them out of my boxes!

 

[Nanook33]

Try switching to dry grass cuttings or chopped straw, BTW how deep is your nesting box?

Have you tried straw?