Nesting box bedding is an essential part of your chicken coop’s overall layout. The carpeting in the nest box collects humidity, smells, and chicken feces. Further benefits of using bedding in nesting boxes include keeping hens warm and preventing eggs from being damaged. Making sure you have the correct kind is beneficial to the well-being of your poultry birds. When rearing chickens, the essential concerns are equipping them with a spacious and secure environment giving them nutritious food and bedding the nesting boxes with comfortable material for delivering eggs.
Using chicken bedding in your coop, you can keep your poultry satisfied while also preventing harm and cracked eggs. It is the materials you employ to wrap the ground of your coop and the nesting boxes. A bedding material such as wood shavings, hay, or sand often uses to layer the enclosure’s base and layer the nest boxes.
Types Bedding Materials Suitable for Chicken Bedding Boxes
Conventional bedding materials and atypical bedding materials each have their own set of advantages and disadvantages, but your choices are acceptable.
Straw
Straw is an excellent bedding material for chicken coops since it is dust-free, insulating, and birds love digging in it. However, straw is inefficient at releasing moisture, does not remain clean for an extended time, and retains infections, necessitating regular replacement.
Hay
For nesting boxes, non-leafy grasses hay would be preferable. If you currently have accessibility to hay, this is a simple option as long as you choose bushy, well-dried hay with a lower grit content. It absorbs humidity and may be used to mulch and distribute hay in a vegetable garden. One point of caution hay does carry grasses seeds that may result in undesired grass regrowth in horticultural spaces when utilized as mulch.
Pine Shavings
Pine shavings are renowned since they are hygienic, affordable, and simple to deal with—the package in handy plastic-wrapped bundles makes storage and transportation simple. In addition, they are gentle on the skin and permeable. Whereas pine shavings are not as organic as hay or straw, they may be sifted along with litter to remove chicken excrement. You may discover that when poultry has choices, they choose hay.
Cedar Shavings
When it comes to pleasant aromas, cedar shavings are a good substitute for pine shavings. However, there is considerable discussion about the solid fragrant attributes of cedar shavings and their impact on hens’ sensitive respiratory systems, and the verdict appears to be out. Therefore, to be cautious, I suggest eliminating cedar shavings while brooding relatively premature chicks.
Nevertheless, several chicken owners have successfully utilized cedar shavings in their coops with mature flocks, as much as the birds had access to other places outside the cage. If you choose cedar shavings, they are readily available at animal supply shops but somewhat more costly than pine; they do, however, scent fantastic and act as an organic bug repellant.
One advantage of cedar shavings is that they may effectively repel mites if your poultry is vulnerable to mites. It provides the same advantages as pine shavings but at a higher cost. If you are intolerant to the smells emanating from a chicken coop, cedar shavings will assist in masking the stench. According to others, cedar is too abrasive on the poultry’s very keen sense of smell.
Nesting Pads
Nesting pads are rectangles or square-shaped bundles of wood fibers, often aspen, that design to nestle securely within a nestbox’s bottom. These strands of wood fiber are braided interwoven and secured to a paper lining, enabling the pad to be conveniently taken out of the nestbox and shook clean. The chickens may scrape and mold the fibers into a secure and comfortable nest; the weaving protects the strands from being yanked out of the nestbox. The gaps within the weaved threads allow moisture to pass through the paper layer, which keeps the egg-laying ground drier. Additionally, since the nesting pad is one piece, the eggs remain at the top rather than covered, as shavings and straw may do.
Grass Clippings
Grass clippings are a feasible choice for coop bedding if you have a sufficient supply, but they have several drawbacks. Clippings tend to accumulate moisture and decompose rapidly. They also dry out, shrivel, and have an unpleasant odor. If you decide to use grass clippings in the coop, be sure that they originate from a lawn that has not been treated with insecticides, fumigants, weeds, or other contaminants before putting them in. Regardless of their coop, chickens will rummage through it constantly, even the bedding, especially if insects are in it.
Shredded Leaves
It is an alternative if the leaves roughly shred to ensure that they dried rapidly after being shredded. However, it takes longer duration for entire leaves to decompose, and they are prone to retaining humidity adhering to one another, and matting. In addition, moist leaves provide a slick ground that may result in spread legs or bumblefoot, which is particularly dangerous in immature, developing animals.
Recycled Paper
Various recovered and repurposed manufactured materials to choose from, including discarded papers and shreds of old newspapers. While they are complimentary, utilize them with care while they are accessible. Inkjet may be harmful to poultry and office papers subject to extensive processing and treatment before being used. Glamorous paper, such as that used in magazines and flyers, comprises a significant quantity of inks and may result in a matting or sloppy texture.
Sand
In the case of coop bedding, and is a great and very tidy option for those who have the necessary time and resources to dedicate to it. Even though it is more costly to purchase immediately than the options mentioned below and used as bedding in the coop only has to be changed once, maybe twice a year provided it clean and kept in its proper location.
Sand dry fast and can carry through with raking to utilize the deep-litter technique or collected with a cat litter scooper when used in tiny coops. Sand is the ground best material for external ranges subjected to the weather regularly since it is durable, dries quickly, and can also be used as a dusty bath substance because it does not disintegrate. You and your poultry will both enjoy it. Builder’s sand available at home redevelopment shops recommend since sandbox sand is too finer and tends to cluster together.
Best Recommended Beddings for Chicken Nesting Boxes
Last update on 2025-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Consider the several varieties of bedding available for use in layering your chicken nesting boxes. Let us go through them in further depth.
1) Small Pet Select Aspen Bedding
Chicken nesting boxes are made of loose aspen shavings, which provide a pleasant and hygienic setting for your chickens to thrive in. The dust-free materials, which have carefully design, are excellent for use in nesting and roaming spaces of your chicken coop. Furthermore, since the kiln-dried aspen shavings are very permeable, you will not have to replace the bedding as often as you would otherwise.
One of several benefits of using this bedding material is that it is wholly organic and compostable, which is a plus. In addition, after cleaning out the coop, you may decompose the shavings and poultry excrement that has accumulated there.
Pros:
- There are no hazardous chemicals or sensitivities in this product.
- Biodegradable and disposable materials use.
- Kiln-dried shavings that are very permeable.
- The package is huge and represents excellent worth for investment.
- Ninety-nine percent of the time, there is no debris.
Cons:
- There are few shavings, and the bedding is better suited for tiny chickens than for larger ones.
2) Standlee Hay Company Wheat or Barley Chopped Straw
Standlee manufactures high-quality bedding hay that is ideal for use in nesting boxes and other similar applications. Hay or straw offers several benefits to aspen, including the fact that it is simpler to withstand cleaner and more cost-efficient purchase. A mixture of wheat and barley straw uses to make this nest box bedding. It’s simple to decompose the bedding straw since it has zero unnatural substances and is weed-free; it’s also inexpensive.
It is easy to clean and maintain chopped straw used for nesting and bedding. To preserve your poultry comfortably and produce eggs, you may put out as much as you need. Hay absorbs less humidity than wood shavings, but it is simpler to clean and may be used to cover vast amounts of ground.
Pros:
- Poultry and other animals may benefit from this multifunctional bedding material.
- Organic and environmentally friendly materials at hundred percent of their composition
- Waste to a bare minimum.
- Bedlinen for nesting boxes at reasonable price.
Cons:
- Debris may produce by straw and hay.
3) MagJo Pet Excelsior Aspen Shaving Nesting Liners
Chick coop nesting pads made by MagJo are the perfect solution for your egg-laying chickens. They construct with aspen shavings, and they have a Kraft paper lining to maintain their form. These nesting liners perform the outstanding task of gathering excrement and keeping wetness within the nesting. Considering that each nesting pad is the typical dimension for nesting boxes, you may use them in any coop without difficulty.
These pads are composed of aspen wood, which uses to make the most acceptable kinds of bedding for poultry nesting boxes. This wood is preferable to pine or cedar wood when it comes to poultry housing. In addition, the craft paper base of this bedding material is of fantastic quality since it assists the pad in maintaining its form better.
Pros:
- For poultry, substantial pads provide the perfect level of cushioning.
- Permeable material that is allowing your chickens to remain clean and comfortable.
- This product manufactures from edible and ecological materials.
- Nesting pads maintain their form quite well.
Cons:
- The pads do not decompose properly.
4) Chicken Nesting Pads with Aromatic Nest Herbs
This Chicken bedding set is one of the most acceptable bedding options available. The cost-effective bundle of ten nesting pads helps to preserve your coop smelling fresh. Aspen fiber pads are infused with fragrant herbs and delicious flowers and do not include any chemical additives or artificial ingredients. Each nest box liner measures 33 cm by 33 cm, making it the perfect size for placing nesting boxes for birds.
The fact that these nesting pads are so simple to use is one of their many outstanding characteristics. Using your hands, you may mold the pads to suit the nesting box. Furthermore, hens may fluff up their pads before producing eggs with relative ease. Finally, the thick cushions assist in absorbing moisture and keeping your laying hens comfortable, warm, fit, and active throughout the winter.
Pros:
- Natural fragrant herbs and edible flowers are used in this blend.
- There are no synthetic colors, fragrances, or additives in this product.
- It is simple to put in nesting boxes.
- Breeding hens and immature chicks will benefit from this product.
- It is simple to gather eggs.
Cons:
- Because there are only ten pads in a package, they may be very costly.
5) Petmate Precision Pet Excelsior Nesting Pads
Petmate’s chicken nesting pads are sturdy and permeable, and they offer a relaxing nest for your chickens to sleep in. They are created from wood shavings and help to reduce the number of odors and moisture in your coop. They are also easy to clean. In addition, the cushioning nesting pads promote the laying of eggs, and the eggs are simple to retrieve.
It is among the advantages of this bedding because the dense, smooth cushions retain more moisture than other bedding types. It implies that you won’t have to replace the wood shaving pads as often as you would with different shaving pads. Furthermore, since the pure bedding is entirely environmentally friendly, you may recycle it once you have changed it.
Pros:
- Poultry can easily alter the nesting material since it is versatile.
- This product is manufactured entirely of environmentally friendly materials.
- Typical size of nesting boxes.
- Bedding is reasonably priced.
Cons:
- Specific customers have complained that the nesting pads are excessively shallow.
What are the popular choices for Chicken Coop Bedding in the different areas of my coop?
Run
In most cases, exterior runs are preferable, and most poultry farms choose sand for their outdoor runs. Sand is excellent and effective; nevertheless, it is not degradable, so consider that while using it. In addition, you will need to scoop out the waste and dung regularly, which will necessitate the usage of a cat litter scoop. Chickens like dust bathing and sand are an excellent choice for this purpose.
When it comes to your outdoor run, and it is an excellent choice if you are prepared to keep it clean regularly, keep in mind that you should avoid extra sharp sand since the hens may inhale it. However, a medium-sized sand particle will enough to guarantee that they do not suffer from respiratory problems.
Coop
Numerous farmers like the smell of pine or cedar but consider that poultry may have respiratory problems if exposed to these plants. You’ll prefer material that’s simple to maintain, clean, and replace as required, as well as something that’s reasonably priced. Several farmers utilize the deep litter technique to prevent wasting bedding and cut financial resources on feed costs and labor. Always remember to preserve the flock’s well-being in sight at all times.
Nesting Boxes
Most poultry producers choose to use wood shavings in their nesting boxes instead of straw. However, some people like hay or straw, and they replace their bedding regularly. Whatever you choose, try to maintain it dry and check to see that the hens aren’t struggling with respiratory problems.
Stir in some minty, chamomile, or rosemary to give it a more pungent fragrance or preserve its freshness Pests will be kept under control due to this. You’ll like to ensure that the smells aren’t harming the poultry’s respiratory illnesses.
What is the Best Material for Chicken Nesting Boxes?
In my viewpoint, pine or cedar shavings are the finest bedding materials for nest boxes. They dry fast, provide considerable cushioning for eggs, and have a pleasant, woodsy aroma. If you’re on the fence about using cedar shavings in the coop, the nest box is an excellent place to start. Furthermore, chickens are seldom in a nest box for an extended time, sufficient for aromatics to disrupt their respiratory tract.
Conclusion
We’ve discussed many common kinds of chicken bedding. We’ve also addressed their advantages and disadvantages, as well as which types of bedding you should avoid using within your coop. We are all reminded of how critical chicken bedding is to poultry care. Therefore, we may infer that paper bedding is optimal for newborn poultry while pine shavings are optimal for mature poultry coop bedding.
In poultry nesting boxes, smooth, comfortable, permeable bedding is necessary for the safety and wellness of your chickens. Satisfied chickens produce more eggs, and the appropriate bedding material preserves nesting grounds tidy and eggs safeguarded. I hope this informational thread on chicken bedding aided you in your outdoor farming endeavors.
