What do you put in your nest boxes?

[MissMarple]

We won't need them for a while but I'm wondering what material y'all use in your nest boxes. Hay? Straw? Shavings? I don't know what else... What's worked best for you and why? All opinions/options welcome!!

 

[CalBickieMomma]

We live on an acre and a quarter, and in the back pasture the weeds are just allowed to grow as they will (lots of thin grasses and such). About mid to late summer, my dad mows it all down and after another week or so, I rake it all up and store it in large metal trash cans, adding in herbs and such between the layers (I use rosemary, mint, lavender, eucalyptus leaves (the new ones (with white powder on them) are good for deterring fleas, too), and leaves from my lime tree). I like using this material because 1.) it's free 2.) it's what my girls would probably use if I could free-range them 3.) the herbs make it smell nice .

 

[Folly's place]

Mine are plastic 'egg crates' on a shelf in a row, and there's a feed bag folded on the bottom, with shavings, straw, or hay on top. usually it's shavings, but it depends on what I have available.
The birds rearrange everything, and work to remove the bedding, so more goes in as they kick it out.
Mary

 

[TropicalBabies]

I use shredded paper (from our shredder) and top with either our local grass (green panic) or the dropped Timothy hay from our horses bales, or a 1,2,3 combo.
I like the shredded paper because it pads and shapes nicely, grass gives it a nice berm and i can afford to replace often. Everything composts too.

 

[15WildTurkey]

I use fake lawn. Squares cut out from that fake grass carpet. Soft and comfy but tidy. And you can hose off the occasional poop.

 

[Rietta]

I use hay its easy and quick the change out, I also use ceramic eggs from the craft store (hobby lobby) they are much cheaper than the ones sold for chickens. I keep them in some boxes all the time to deter egg eating. They peck it, and nothing. Also just know, every single hen wants to use the same box.. I have 9 hens and 12 boxes.. they use 2 most of the time. Sometimes I find one in the box and one sitting on top of her They work it out. Enjoy!

 

[slordaz]

We won't need them for a while but I'm wondering what material y'all use in your nest boxes. Hay? Straw? Shavings? I don't know what else... What's worked best for you and why? All opinions/options welcome!!

I did shavings where i just wanted them to lay eggs and staw where I wanted them to nest to hatch out, made for easy telling when I had one that if wasn't careful would pull a fast one with a hidden nest and come back with an army, seems how my crazy chickens think they can incubate 30 eggs at a time lol

 

[mdquilts]

I cut some foam anti fatigue floor mats to fit snug in each box then topped with shavings and hay.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I like all of this! hah! I definitely would love to start a compost. Seems like a waste not to!

REALLY helps with the poop smell and muck situation. I recommend looking for a compost tumbler on craigslist to start you off. I keep mine in their run and scrape poop daily from the boards, add kitchen greens, coffee grinds, egg shells, leaves... no meat or dairy or oils.
can't beat it.

 

[MissMarple]

I use hay its easy and quick the change out, I also use ceramic eggs from the craft store (hobby lobby) they are much cheaper than the ones sold for chickens. I keep them in some boxes all the time to deter egg eating. They peck it, and nothing. Also just know, every single hen wants to use the same box.. I have 9 hens and 12 boxes.. they use 2 most of the time. Sometimes I find one in the box and one sitting on top of her They work it out. Enjoy!

I think we figured out that we can fit 12 boxes in our coop. I'll definitely have to check out Hobby Lobby! We have a few golf balls in our yard from people practicing their swing before they head out to the country club. Maybe I should collect those as well. I half expect all 30 to shoot for no more than 2 boxes but I'll be prepared anyway. Hah!