From all of the heavy rain and snow, the hen house has become extremely dirty. I usually always fill the nests with fresh hay.............which in no time winds up scratched out of the boxes and onto the hen house floor. In no time the nest boxes are bare.
This weekend, I tried something new.............although I have to say, I was a little hesitant to try it. And I have to admit...........it was on sale and extremely cheap......................wood shavings. Upon opening the bag, I was surprised to find the shavings very soft and not splintery as I thought they would be. I filled the nests boxes and put some underneath them on the floor..............a place where some of the hens like to make a nest.
By the time I had the partial bag put away in storage and came back to the hen house, Clara Bell had already made herself comfortable. So far the nest boxes are still full and the chickens have left the shavings alone. They are not interested in trying to eat it either...........which was one worry I had had. I have noticed that in other stores, this type of bedding is more expensive than the hay I buy. But I won't mind paying a little extra if this lasts longer. 
That's what we use all the time. We get the really big bags at the feed and seed in town. But our hens are more aggravating that yours, they still push it out of their nests.
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