mhclarke Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 Hi there, We are newbies to chickens and eglu. We have an eglu go. I don't know if its cause our girls haven't started laying yet (they are 18 weeks and it is winter here in Australia) but we have been putting straw in the nesting area for them and they kick it out within 30 seconds of it being there! Any recommendations for bedding or why this is happening would be great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 Firstly, I'd say that if they're not interested in bedding in the nesting box then let them have their own way. However..... Straw is probably not the best bedding to use. It can get damp underneath and retain that moisture, leading in extreme cases to mould and parasites. If you want to put bedding in the nesting box then either things like chopped hemp (aubiose, hemcore etc.) or simple shredded paper (a great way of disposing of your old shredded bills/bank statements) will be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 They are probably looking for insects in it sounds like they are looking for food in there. I used to use shredded paper, but they ate it! Stupid birds! But we used our own hay on top of newspaper sheets - stops it falling through the hole. I put Biodry over the top and some diatomaceous earth just in case of pests harbouring. I wouldn't use straw because parasites love the stems. The girls then fashion it into a nest. Easy to roll up in the newspaper when cleaning out too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 I have a Go and used it as my main chicken house for 2 years and was very happy with it. However the design of the nest ‘hollow’ isn’t great. It’s too shallow so it really doesn’t take much for a bit of inquisitive scratching to fling out all the bedding in there. I used Easichick but even that got kicked out a lot of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 Try small woodchips (not woodshavings!). It’s a bit heavier. Mine still kick some around, but most will stay in the nest dip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
