The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: valmet10 on August 09, 2019, 10:03:28 pm

Title: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: valmet10 on August 09, 2019, 10:03:28 pm
what are you using , ive been put straw in ours but the hens pull it all out , and we seem to be having a lot of broken eggs in nest boxes !
Title: Re: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: Fleecewife on August 09, 2019, 10:21:08 pm
Wood shavings, with straw on top, so there's something soft plus straw for them to organise the nest with.
Title: Re: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: Perris on August 10, 2019, 06:35:18 am
 wood shavings and straw here too. Of course one girl prefers to make her own of leaves under a bush  ::)
Title: Re: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: in the hills on August 10, 2019, 08:38:26 pm
Same as in the rest of the coop .... Dengie bedding
Title: Re: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: RCTman on August 10, 2019, 09:09:50 pm
Shredded paper
Title: Re: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: chrismahon on August 11, 2019, 06:54:35 am
Feedbag on the base folded up the sides and then filled with wood shavings. If any eggs get broken take the whole lot out in one piece and bin it, without needing to clean up any mess.
Title: Re: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: tommytink on August 11, 2019, 08:25:14 am
Used to use a bit of straw, now switched to hay. None of them use the boxes though, they’ve made two nests in the corners of the coop!
Title: Re: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: Eve on August 13, 2019, 11:56:16 am
Snowflake soft wood shavings, keeps eggs much cleaner.
Title: Re: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: Terry T on August 13, 2019, 06:28:31 pm
hemp fibre - I find it’s a bit more expensive to buy but goes much further and composts better than wood shavings
Title: Re: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: abc123 on August 13, 2019, 07:46:10 pm
I use Bedmax and straw and bedmax in the rest of the coop
Used to use a bit of straw, now switched to hay. None of them use the boxes though, they’ve made two nests in the corners of the coop!
.

Tommytink do you get problems with dirty/broken eggs with nests in corner of the coop? If so try moving the eggs to the nestbox as soon as they are laid/asap or use some rubber/fake eggs in the nestbox to encourage them to lay where you want them to. Mine used to lay under the perches when one of my nestbox roofs was leaking and draughty for a short while, and therefore the eggs were in the firing line for getting very mucky, and this worked for me? :thumbsup:

Good idea chrismahon :)
Title: Re: what are you using in nest boxes !
Post by: Rosemary on August 14, 2019, 07:26:10 am
Dengie Freshbed