Whats the best bedding for nesting boxes

I use pine shavings and my chickens love it. Don't use hay, it can easily be a great place for mites and other bugs to get attracted to. Hay can also mold easily. Hope this helps!
Mites can hide in anything fluffy used for bedding, not just hay. Hay molds if it's wet, that's why it's not a good idea to use as general bedding where chickens poop. But the nesting boxes should never be wet. If you have wet nesting boxes, you have a bigger problem than the hay, and need to address that. Dry hay in nesting boxes is perfectly fine.
 
It depends on what you are expecting your hens to do in the nest box. If it's just to lay eggs in then most of the above alternatives are going fine.
If you want your hen to sit and hatch in the nest box then things are more complex.
 
Nest box pads? Any ideas? I have seen various types from a sort of hay compression to silicone. Thanks!
Free option: save your empty feed bags and fold them to fit the bottom of the nest box. Top with nest material of your choice,. If they get badly soiled, simply remove, toss, insert new feed bag.
 

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