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will chickens lay on bare wood?

 
Posts: 134
Location: Canton, NC
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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
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Location: Big Island, Hawaii (2300' elevation, 60" avg. annual rainfall, temp range 55-80 degrees F)
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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.
 
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My chickens are currently favoring the ground under a bush rather than the nesting box with wood shavings in it. Go figure.
 
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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.
 
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