What do you put in your nest boxes?

[MissMarple]

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 coop and scrape poop daily, add kitchen greens, coffee grinds, egg shells, leaves... no meat or dairy or oils.
View attachment 1887113 View attachment 1887110 View attachment 1887109 View attachment 1887112 can't beat it.

My Mom actually has a tumbler! I'll have to ask her where she got hers. Around here, Craigslist is too dangerous to use. (Love living near Memphis...) But I might search for it on Marketplace and see if anyone I know or a friend of a friend has one up for sale! Definitely will add this to the list of things to acquire and start using!

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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!

 

[15WildTurkey]

But they looove to lay in the hay storage in the goat barn. And somebody likes to lay in the dust bath in their run!!

 

[slordaz]

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.

hmmm i might have to find me some of that never thought of that, but then one of my hens escaped and built a nest outside in dangerous spot with pint needles too lol

 

[MissMarple]

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

They have a mind of their own! Your chickens are over-achievers!!! And great at it, obviously!!!

 

[MissMarple]

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.

This!! I was wondering if anyone used something like astro-turf!! I was thinking that cleaning might be a breeze but I wasn't so sure on comfort level!

But they looove to lay in the hay storage in the goat barn. And somebody likes to lay in the dust bath in their run!!

Hah! This is what I expect... I figure mine will be rebels and lay all over the place and never in a nest box... Some of their attitudes already show promise of this coming in the future.

 

[15WildTurkey]

This!! I was wondering if anyone used something like astro-turf!! I was thinking that cleaning might be a breeze but I wasn't so sure on comfort level!



Hah! This is what I expect... I figure mine will be rebels and lay all over the place and never in a nest box... Some of their attitudes already show promise of this coming in the future.

I keep mine shut in their max security pen until most have laid. Since I found a nest of 7/8 eggs in a clumpnof weeds. They get to free range once they leave the good where I can find them.

 

[MissMarple]

I keep mine shut in their max security pen until most have laid. Since I found a nest of 7/8 eggs in a clumpnof weeds. They get to free range once they leave the good where I can find them.

Hah! Work before play! I love it!!