Wondering if I can use pine needles in nest boxes

[talkinboutchickens]

Hello guys, for my 5 yrs of chicken keeping I have used pine shavings in the nesting boxes the whole time. However, they KEEP KICKING THEM OUT, making me put new pine shavings in the nest boxes pretty often.
So I've seen those nesting box pads, but those are way too expensive for us. The nest box liners, like turf grass for instance, I don't want to use because I want my babies to be as comfortable as possible laying their eggs and turf grass is not comfortable whatsoever (if I was a chicken I would rather lay in my coop bedding than on turf grass lol!)
We have a few pine trees that shed a lot of needles every year, to the point where there is like a blanket of pine needles under one of them. I was wondering if I can use pine needles in their nest boxes? And will they be enticed to eat them because they are long? And I know that they might kick those out too, but they don't cost any money so that won't be much of a problem for us
Thank you very much!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Would it be effective to raise the lip a couple of inches to make it harder for them to scratch the bedding out? That's how I solved a similar problem, just raised the lip.

 

[FrostRanger]

Pine needles are perfectly fine, we have pine trees absolutely everywhere here and I do use them in the run and in the nest box without issue

 

[Dominique King]

Hello guys, for my 5 yrs of chicken keeping I have used pine shavings in the nesting boxes the whole time. However, they KEEP KICKING THEM OUT, making me put new pine shavings in the nest boxes pretty often.
So I've seen those nesting box pads, but those are way too expensive for us. The nest box liners, like turf grass for instance, I don't want to use because I want my babies to be as comfortable as possible laying their eggs and turf grass is not comfortable whatsoever (if I was a chicken I would rather lay in my coop bedding than on turf grass lol!)
We have a few pine trees that shed a lot of needles every year, to the point where there is like a blanket of pine needles under one of them. I was wondering if I can use pine needles in their nest boxes? And will they be enticed to eat them because they are long? And I know that they might kick those out too, but they don't cost any money so that won't be much of a problem for us
Thank you very much!

I use hay or straw for my nesting boxes.

 

[Smokerbill]

I've used pollen cones from fir trees but they're so light they get kicked out. Now I just keep it filled with partially decomposed woodchips. Doesn't seem to matter much with my chickens. They'll lay eggs on anything.

 

[ChaosMom]

Hello guys, for my 5 yrs of chicken keeping I have used pine shavings in the nesting boxes the whole time. However, they KEEP KICKING THEM OUT, making me put new pine shavings in the nest boxes pretty often.
So I've seen those nesting box pads, but those are way too expensive for us. The nest box liners, like turf grass for instance, I don't want to use because I want my babies to be as comfortable as possible laying their eggs and turf grass is not comfortable whatsoever (if I was a chicken I would rather lay in my coop bedding than on turf grass lol!)
We have a few pine trees that shed a lot of needles every year, to the point where there is like a blanket of pine needles under one of them. I was wondering if I can use pine needles in their nest boxes? And will they be enticed to eat them because they are long? And I know that they might kick those out too, but they don't cost any money so that won't be much of a problem for us
Thank you very much!

Mine are not yet laying, but I have a ton of pine needles with other stuff on the run floor. They picked them up and nibbled at them the first day and haven't bothered with them since.

I've about decided that chickens are like babies: they use their mouths to figure out what something is. Once they (the chickens, anyway) figure that out and decide that it's not edible, they leave it alone.

But pine straw is awesome for the deep litter on the run floor, and I would think they'd love it for the nest boxes as well.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Would it be effective to raise the lip a couple of inches to make it harder for them to scratch the bedding out? That's how I solved a similar problem, just raised the lip.

yeah, there is already a 2x4 in front of the nesting boxes

 

[Ridgerunner]

yeah, there is already a 2x4 in front of the nesting boxes

Then raise it 2 or 3 more inches.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Mine are not yet laying, but I have a ton of pine needles with other stuff on the run floor. They picked them up and nibbled at them the first day and haven't bothered with them since.

I've about decided that chickens are like babies: they use their mouths to figure out what something is. Once they (the chickens, anyway) figure that out and decide that it's not edible, they leave it alone.

But pine straw is awesome for the deep litter on the run floor, and I would think they'd love it for the nest boxes as well.

Pine needles are perfectly fine, we have pine trees absolutely everywhere here and I do use them in the run and in the nest box without issue

Yay!!! Excited to hear that they are okay to use.
@ChaosMom, yes they totally are like babies LOL I just switched their bedding from shavings to pellets, and I saw them chewing on the pellets but turns out that they were just exploring haha!!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Then raise it 2 or 3 more inches.

I'm worried that my chonky hen won't be able to fit then, and even my GIANT rooster who likes to make nests for his girls