How to stop my chick from making a mess

[StinkyAcres]

they are very expensive, I agree! It's just between all the options what saved my sanity. One thing it has really helped with, is protecting the wooden box from the broken egg shells, that she used to always have (she's always been sort of the "special" one). The padding somewhat blocked the wood from getting saturated. I still periodically have the broken egg problem from one of my other chicks that has stopped producing so much. I have tried a plastic washable pad under different materials to help with the egg mess problem but I got tired of always having to wash the plastic pad. Anyway - after everything I've tried.....the nest pad was the winner. Yes, she does seem to want a fluffier nest, she can get that pad seriously fluffed (more than straw, etc)but she just keeps going and going and going until she rips a hole in the pad and now pushes it out of the box...I really don't know of a fluffier option....

I gotcha. I didn't realize those nest pads can fluff up much. I understand not wanting to keep cleaning the plastic pads too. I use plastic dish pans and put the nesting material in them. It definitely can get annoying when you have a broken thin-shelled egg problem and you have to clean them every day, but it helps to have extra so you can replace the dirty ones with ones you've already cleaned.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I personally think those nest pad things are a big waste of money. If you don't want to risk introducing bugs to the nesting boxes with hay or straw maybe try shredded paper. Anyway, it sounds like the boxes may need a larger lip on them and she wants fluffier nesting material.

Some of my hens absolutely shredded those pads, others have been left pretty much intact. I have them covered with shredded paper. Who knows what goes through the mind of a chicken?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

they are very expensive, I agree! It's just between all the options what saved my sanity. One thing it has really helped with, is protecting the wooden box from the broken egg shells, that she used to always have (she's always been sort of the "special" one). The padding somewhat blocked the wood from getting saturated. I still periodically have the broken egg problem from one of my other chicks that has stopped producing so much. I have tried a plastic washable pad under different materials to help with the egg mess problem but I got tired of always having to wash the plastic pad. Anyway - after everything I've tried.....the nest pad was the winner. Yes, she does seem to want a fluffier nest, she can get that pad seriously fluffed (more than straw, etc)but she just keeps going and going and going until she rips a hole in the pad and now pushes it out of the box...I really don't know of a fluffier option....

Some people use folded up empty feed bags under the nesting material to protect the nest box from broken egg mess. No washing, just toss it when soiled.

 

[nuthatched]

I use these nest pads (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S1QCCMZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1) - the pads fit the box perfectly 13x13. I can't remember why I started using these nest pads vs straw or hemp (I use hemp in the run). I just remember I went through testing a lot of different things and this was the one they like the best and worked the best, been using them for several years now. My other chicks will just lay on the pad without scratching around but this one check (Freckles) digs like crazy.

I'd add a layer on straw or something for her to snuggle in, she may just not like the flatness.