• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

will chickens lay on bare wood?

 
Posts: 134
Location: Canton, NC
6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

I've built some roll away nest boxes, and with the astroturf in there, the eggs dont roll very well. if you kinda mess with the eggs as, per se, a chicken moving around might bump them, it will roll away, but not as I expected them to do. Will the chickens lay on bare wood, or do they need something soft under their feather butts to incite laying?

The boxes have about a 3 inch drop per 20 inches.

Thanks ahead of time!

Matt
 
pollinator
Posts: 2142
Location: Big Island, Hawaii (2300' elevation, 60" avg. annual rainfall, temp range 55-80 degrees F)
1064
forest garden rabbit tiny house books solar woodworking
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
While I use sawdust in my nest boxes, I have had hens lay eggs in a bare box. But most of them seem to prefer the boxes with bedding. Bedding is a relative term though. I've had hens like a wicker basket, a soft lounge chair, the cat's bed, and even under a bush on the bare dirt.
 
Posts: 278
Location: S.E. Michigan - Zone 6a
21
6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
My chickens are currently favoring the ground under a bush rather than the nesting box with wood shavings in it. Go figure.
 
pollinator
Posts: 2392
104
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Mine will.

No matter how much pine straw I put in the nest box, they always move it around until there is bare plywood to lay the egg on.
 
A lot of people cry when they cut onions. The trick is not to form an emotional bond. This tiny ad told me:
Freaky Cheap Heat - 2 hour movie - HD streaming
https://permies.com/wiki/238453/Freaky-Cheap-Heat-hour-movie
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic