What's the best nesting material?

[dickkenschickens]

A.T. Hagan :

I like pine straw best of all, but it always seems like when I want to change the nest litter it has rained recently so it's wet. Mostly I use Bermuda hay beause it's cheap and available. Shredded paper matted down too much. I've tried pine shavings but the hens like to scratch around in it so much that the eggs get buried which increases the chance that they may get lost and not found for a long time. I'm thinking about in the spring spreading cedar shavings over the hay to see if it will deter fire ants and maybe mites.

.....Alan.

Thanks for the reply. I think I'm going to try some straw. I wanted to warn you about using cedar. I think I remember hearing that cedar is bad for chickens. You might want to check into it before puting cedar down.​

 

[A.T. Hagan]

If the ventilation was poor I wouldn't use them, but my nest boxes are either outside or in tractors so they get excellent air flow.

.....Alan.

 

[demp4]

We use pine shavings here... Easier to clean with the shop vac I just suck them out and replace with new shavings when its time to clean.

 

[Chew593]

The bottoms of my nesting boxes are small chicken wire wrapped around and stapled secure. I put hay on that and a little pine shavings on top of that. Soooo easy to clean!

 

[Greenwood Chick]

Best nesting material? Shredded paper. I can't think of a better use for all those annoying insurance and credit card offers.

Best of all, it's FREE!

 

[blueheaven]

that is where i was. i first used shavings and purple, my barred rock would make a nest so big that the shavings would move so much and all eggs from her would crack. thus...i had shavings as the bottom and then added some straw. so she makes the main nest with the straw and moves most out of the way and lays her eggs on the pine shavings. works great! so i did this to all the nest boxes.
good luck!!! let me know results!

Quote:
My girls have just started laying in the box this past week. (Previously, my only layer of 3 weeks kept using the coop floor...the new layers convinced her the boxes were better!

) My only problem is they keep rearranging the shavings, leaving the center bare to the wood. I've had 2 cracked eggs from my new girls! I suppose one could be standing higher when laying and dropping it on the wood. Another BYCer has suggested using cardboard under the shavings as a cushion...that's my next try

 

[ace6175]

My hens seem to like the dried grass clippings. We raked 14 bags of it this summer, hope it's enough to last us through the winter. And, it's free!

 

[sovia]

Last time I ordered a bunch of egg cartons, I also got some nesting pads to round out my order. Those things are great! They are very clean, easy to replace,

and the hens don't kick the straw out of the boxes. I will continue to use them.

 

[Opa]

I use plastic nest pads in my boxes. Very easy to keep clean. http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/in...ducts_id=682&zenid=l6fskhnrmjga7iarl3pkeue7q6

 

[bardrock15]

Being higher on the food chain, I thought I knew what my 15 BR hens should have for nesting so I got myself some fine straw and waited for the eggs to come rolling in. I shortly noticed that the hens were cleaning the straw out the laying boxes before they layed -- they preferred the wood bottom of the laying boxes to straw so I changed to pine shavings. Lesson learned ... my layers simply wanted the courtesy of a consult. And, I have found that the boxes are a whole lot easier to keep clean.