hay/straw in the nest box? is pine shavings ok?

[mom2jedi]

I've tried putting hay in, they eat it.

I've tried whole lengths of straw, they toss is out.

I've tried cutting the straw so it fits better, they still toss it out.

I've tried pine shavings, most of it stays put but they still move it around enough that I end up with cracked ends.

Solution? I'm going with either rubber mats or carpet scraps, then shavings. Grrr, silly chickens it shouldn't be that hard!

(Sorry, I was having fun with the smilies!)

 

[ShaggysGirl]

I use the wood shavings I think it is a pine mix anything but cedar will be ok. I find the wood shavings cleaner. I replace the shavings in each box every week or two.

I do the deep litter method and twice a year we clean out the coop and put it all in the compost then tilled in the garden. As long as it is aged a few months the chicken poop (Nitogen) and the wood shavings (acidic) help to break each other down. We also add the usual household stuff in the compost egg shells coffee grounds veggie trimmings etc. If we don't eat it it goes to the chickens if they don't then the compost

 

[gritsar]

I've been using hay - it's cheap and readily available here - for two years now. I pack it tightly into the nestbox and have never had a problem. I have seen hens play with it while in the nest, but have never seen any of them eating it.

 

[Panhanle RIR]

i normaly do pine shavings but this last time i bought pine mulch and my hens like it just as much if not better

 

[thomas_beavers]

i use pine shavings. What I've found works really good is if you lay about 2 inches of compressed pine pellets down first and then your pine shavings on top. The compressed pine helps soak up any moisture and helps with smell.

 

[sheeshshe]

OK, I just tossed some pine shavings in there.... but as I'm typing this I realized that I have some pine mulch in the yard just sitting in a pile... I should put some of that in there!!! good ideas! THank you all!

 

[SuziQ18]

I use shredded newspaper, as it is a perfect compostable material and always available. It is soft and comfortable, and the chickens seem smarter from all that reading LOL

 

[M Scott]

I use pine shavings, BUT.. they scratch them around and I have been having a number of broken egg issues. I need to install foam rubber mats.

What foam rubber mats did you end up getting? I have this prob also