20 Best Chicken Nesting Material (2022 Updated)

I was skeptical for the cost, but our hens kept kicking out the chips we normally use as bedding and without any nesting material, eggs tend to break or get poopy. I absolutely love these! I take one out, plop it into the nest box, the hens can try to scratch and rearrange, but it stays put! I change it out about every 4 months just to refresh and make sure I’m not fostering any mite/lice, but it’s honestly been in good shape when I’ve changed them out.

Eggs come out clean and not broken. I’ll keep purchasing 100%!.

These worked very well and was all set to order more until they went up $10! I will just use loose coastal hay and fix the boxes up when the girls scratch it out. If you have scratchy hens they will loosen the hay off the pads but it does take a couple weeks for this to happen.

Put loose straw on top of these pads and it helps. Would be a 5 star review but the price jump from $18 to $28 is just too high for us.

We have a small flock of 7 hens and no roosters. We were having trouble with the hens scratching the straw out of the nest boxes. When I first added the pads, I put a small amount of straw on top. The hens did not like that change and began laying on the floor.

Once I added a large amount of straw on top of the pads, the hens moved back to the nest boxes. They still scratch out the straw, but now they are unable to scratch to the bare wood, and the pads on bottom provide a safe space for the eggs.

I really wanted my chickens to love this nesting box. Pros: it was easy to put together and sturdy. Cons: the lids to the egg box do not open and close with ease, as they are right up against each other, so you kind of have to push them around to close it properly.

Also, my chickens hate this product. I currently have 20 hens. I’ve had this now for months and my ladies refuse to lay in it. In the instructions, it is recommended to use something to make it comfy for the hens until they get used to it.

I tried adding fake grass pads like I had in their old nesting boxes, and they still refuse it. The nesting pads slide down and stop the eggs from rolling in, so it is kind of pointless to use with it.

Wood chips would just slide down into the box, also making it useless. I’m still trying to work on getting them to lay in it, but at this point, it just a big hunk of expensive metal that takes up space in my chicken barn.

I wish i knew the secret to make this work out for my ladies.

I wanted something easier to disinfect than the wooden nesting boxes I was using. This is metal and plastic so it’s easy to clean. I like that the bottom tray is plastic so it’s not as cold for the hens in the winter.

I put it together pretty easily, although the instructions weren’t super helpful. It definitely helps to have another set of hands fit the initial construction. Some of the holes for the screws seemed slightly off center but I got it to work.

Be aware that you’ll be tightening the screws in very tight places and you may have some difficulty if you’re using a normal-size screwdriver. I haven’t had it too long but a couple of the hens are starting lay in it so I guess they don’t hate it.

The box seems good quality so I’m hoping it’ll last!.

This nestbox comes unassembled. It was not hard to put together, just a pain. After hanging in the coop, the chickens loved it. BUT, the lip in back that holds the tray in place is not wide enough, and the metal under the tray is too thin to hold it in the slot.

The tray slips forward, then flips up in back which causes the tray to hang vertically, or worse, come completely out of the housing. Also, the tray accumulates poop, so the eggs get dirty. I modified the tray by cutting a slot in front smaller than the egg in order for the poop to fall out rather than collect.

I also put a strap around the front of the trays, and a 1 1/2″ block over the back of the tray to hold it in. It works well for the most part now. I doubt that I will buy again, for the the time and money I have in it, I can build my own.

Our order for the Chicken Nesting Box came in perfect condition. Got rid of the old system we had. Put in the new one and no one has laid in yet. They pooped on top and have been laying on the ground under it and where ever they decide to drop an egg.

We have hopes they will except soon. Belong to a Chicken Raising Group and looking for suggestions. Been really hot here and hope when the cooler weather comes they will be laying in their new Nesting Box.

All the ladies will most likely use when they get use to it.

very nice nesting box seems sturdy not 100% on the hanging hooks to mount it. (due to weight of the nesting) also shipping was a bit disappointing. the box sat on the dock for almost a week before u.

p. s. picked it up. so shipping took two weeks site to store, not a huge deal due to my hens are not old enough anyways. 5 star on build quality but taking a star for the mounting and mounting hooks.

Easy to construct and hang. Beware of sharp edges. Instructions were okay. It works for us, the eggs roll down and the dirty birds don’t eat the eggs.

I love this nesting box, super easy to maintain, was easy to assemble and mine came with all the necessary hardware plus some. Even the lumber was straight and ore drilled although I read conflicting reviews about the lumber (and hardware for that matter).

Had worked well for me so far, only downside is its hard to clean if your box is exposed to the elements like mine. Whenever I get leaves in it during the fall, or filth, you have to manually lift out all of the bottoms to get everything clean.

That is also a positive that you have this ability to do so, but it would have been nice if the pans were perforated or had a lipped area so you could use a hose to simply wash everything towards the back.

Just my opinions, otherwise I think for the price and longevity and not having to engineer a nesting box of my own, this was a good solution. Highly recommend, will outlast the wood coop and the chickens for sure.

I ordered this chicken nest a little over a month ago and I’m very pleased about the overall cost, ease of assembly and it was exactly what I expected and needed. The chickens were curious at first but eventually took to it and are using the entire nest.

I am completely satisfied and would consider ordering again if and when needed.

package is heavy. just a heads up. my wife wasn’t able to move it. got it opened up and the first thing you notice is a lot of assembly is required. don’t let the amount of nuts and bolts scare you away though.

assembly takes about 45 min. once together it is a pretty nice piece of equipment. you will notice that the bottom trays on one side are a lot more loose that the rest but it will be fine. the price is a little high in my opinion.

especially since it is just stamped sheet metal. but it looks good and gets the job done. you can tell it will be the one thing in you coop that actually lasts.

I thought it might be too small but even Tarzan the biggest one lays eggs just fine in it. The inserts are great too because you can wash it when eggs break. It seems rough and not comfortable but Tarzan ain’t complaining.

I am making a side access egg house so I can reach right through the egg shaped hole in the back and collect eggs. It seems like it will last and most of all easy to clean which is why I bought it.

Love, love, love these nest boxes. Very sturdy and well made. Easy to clean and roomy for my girls. They love them too!

Perfect nesting boxes for our small batch of farm chickens. They seem to like laying in one or two of the 4 we purchased, but they have options. Thanks for a great product!!

My chickens have absolutely no interest in using this. I am giving it a 4-star rating because it is a very, very well-made product. I am very new as a chicken owner. I purchased this product out of 1) a desire to have clean eggs, and 2) because a chicken owning friend told me that a chicken who tries to eat the egg will do so again and should be killed.

I only have 5 hens. This product is way overkill for my situation. My eggs are almost always very clean and my chickens do not try to eat their eggs. I would definitely be more interest in the benefits of this product if I had larger egg production of 20 eggs or more daily.

My hens lay their egg right beside the Best Nest Box instead of in it. Chickens do what they want to do.

I like the design. Neatly engineered and a simple assembly. Was able to install in my coop with little effort. I was a bit suspicious of this size being able to handle 13 laying hens. Now, the issue could be with my hens, they are new layers, getting used to it, but I’ve never seen two birds in this box.

And my issue is some some hens really hog the box, like that roommate we’ve all had with the early morning bathroom. This is forcing other hes to lay on the ground. I can tell they want to get in the nest box, but the one in there won’t allow it, and those not allowed make a lot of noise and even walk on top of the box and I think this prolongs the stingy hens laying an egg.

If I were to do it over, I would get 3 of the small version. This medium size isn’t big enough for two hens and they aren’t allowing sharing anyway. I do like the design, and when it works, it works well.

So, I think I will place an order for 2 more small ones if this pattern continues with my hens. Overall, I like the system, but I have to figure the kinks out with my hens. Edit: I am leaving the above standing for reference.

This is a great company. Customer service is excellent. When a company would rather lead you along the proper path than sell you more of their product, you’re dealing with honest people who care about integrity.

I am going to follow through with the advice I received and report back.

We researched these boxes carefully and this one clearly looked like the best of the lot. Most notably, it box appeared to be made of heavier gauge sheet metal than that used by competitors, and in all regards seemed best-designed and made to last longest.

It was a breeze to assemble, and our chickens took to it quickly. Hard to tell if their novel vocalizations indicated delight, confusion, or outrage at realizing just from looking at it that they’d not be able to eat their eggs any longer.

We’ve had it in use for only a week, but so far, it’s given us good reason to think we did well to invest in it. I’m confident that it will remain serviceable for many, many years.

Great value. Great idea. Chickens and kids like them and the work great. Very sturdy and seem to be holding up good so far!

Seems well-made, my chickens took right to laying in the pair I’ve installed. I’m not using the reach-through egg-shaped hole, but I can see where it would be handy.

Love these! Have had our chicks just over a year. We had some home made nesting boxes that were fine. I saw these and really liked the idea of being able to easily clean them. Not to mention a space saver.

Within 30 minutes of putting them up and putting a little hay in them for nesting I had my first egg in there. We are going be buying a few more. Very versatile design which will allow me to save some space also.

Excellent product. Fits one hen comfortably or three hens awkwardly. There is no in-between. Easy to clean. The little black bar comes off easily and gets lost. The girls didn’t want it anyhow. We have three of these even though we only need one.

We have 14 laying hens who are very demanding of almost perfection. This is perfect for them.

Bought a new coop for the new birds! (chicken math) With a smaller space these nesting boxes fit well and can be stacked up the wall. They’re big enough for the fatter hens (Dominant Copper) which have no problem getting in or out of them.

They have now abandoned the old nesting boxes in the other coop for these! What’s nice is that they are built for standard 16″ studs and only take 4 screws. I did need to add a cut 2×4 at the bottom, since they set out away from the inner wall of the coop.

That was pretty easy. I will say that the girls like the lower ones best and don’t bother to jump up to the higher one. Overall, they are pretty happy hens!.

I bought the squirrel starter pack with the house for my 6 week old Douglas squirrel rescue. I purchased extra bedding for his house. He loves it!!! He snuggles right in and sleeps amazing! Definitely a recommend! Great price too!.

Both of my chinchillas love this. To understand this better you have to know that this turned on of my chins into a cuddle bug. From a hiddy-never-liked hands boy. -Christie B.

My little squirrel loves this stuff. She burrows under it, flattens it out, and curls up nice and warm in it in her nest box. And that’s great because central Florida gets extremely damp , especially at night.

– Stacey P.

The plastic these are made of is very stiff. It almost like touching a cactus instead of something gentle. I guess I was just taken a back by the stiffness of it as hens have to sit on it and the eggs fall on it.

They are very hard to clean if a hen poop’s on it. It gets smashed into the weave. If you want to pull and soak them overnight they might work better.

These are much more stiff than I expected and I was afraid the hens wouldn’t like them. I just put straw on top and they keep the straw from going everywhere. The hens like them and I like them because I can pick them up and dump all soiled straw wherever I want without having to scoop and scrape.

I just hose them down, shake the water off, then put them back with fresh straw.

I use these under the pine shavings in the nest boxes for our chickens. I needed more so it would be easy to replace the others already in the chicken’s boxes when I clean them. Now I have 2 sets so I do not have to wait for the pads to dry before putting them back.

Really helps with cushioning, so now we have less broken eggs. This was the best price I found for these for the quantity I wanted.

These are very hard and pokey. I dont believe my chickens will like it. I dont think they would be a good landing spot for eggs either. They do however seem like they would be durable and be easy to clean.

I have been trying to get my chickens to stop laying all their eggs in the place. I have had varying degrees of success. They have plenty of laying boxes, and using dummy eggs helps. After trying these pads I notice that I don’t have to change the bedding as often since it is far more difficult to kick out while they get everything the way they want it.

It’s clean and stays dry. It’s convenient and creates far less work.

I have LF Cochins and was having a hard time finding somthing they couldnt scratch out of their boxes. I tried shavings, straw/hay, and other padding. Nothing was working, I seen these on the website ordering duck food and decided to try them.

10/10 recommend they fit perfectly in their boxes. Even my largest hens cannot get them out, easy clean up and not dusty.

I bought these to help keep the nesting boxes clean. Each pad is thinner than what it appears to be in the photo and what I was expecting. They are messy in that a lot of the excelsior comes off of the pad as you take them out of the package.

The hens seem to not mind any of this hence I’ll keep using them.

I had these stood on the floor of the coop and they tilted backwards, I had to put some wood at the rear to make them tilt forward to allow the eggs to roll. I don’t think they were designed for floor standing or standing on a flat surface.

Excellent product quite what I was looking for but I will improve it with small curtains so that my daughters are more isolated but still he is looking for straw for her it is brand new there must be an adaptation.

I am very pleased with this nest box and so are the hens. They literally queued up to use it, as soon as I put it in the hen house! I have it sitting on a wooden box at a convenient height and it is perfectly stable without fixing to the wall.

I had it outside for a day whilst cleaning out the hen house and the hens found it immediately and used it normally in their outdoor run. The eggs remain clean , the removable mat is easy to take out and rinse and th outer galvanised metal is simple to keep clean.

It is serving 4 large and quite boisterous hens. I definitely recommend the product and find it to be good value.

Brilliant to use and great for cleaning.

They work very well at keeping the eggs safe

We purchased this bedding for our 4 zebra finches. They enjoy the feel and warmth that it provides them. Definitely a recommended product

Great nesting material, & also edible, so no worries about the birds eating it when they finish throwing it out if the nest box & all over the cage.

Not a lot in bag, also not of a nice texture, would not recommend’

Instructions are one page, with blurry nearly microscopic pictures, and one sentence directions. They are beyond difficult to comprehend and follow. Guessing this is to save costs? But I had to put it together and take it back apart 3 times because pieces aren’t marked and the photos are no help at all.

The perch is finally made fixed although its supposed to fold up; just couldn’t figure out how the arms went together. Bought this model because the nest was a full 12″ width, which I needed, and had bought 2 sets.

But now I’m returning the second set – just too difficult to assemble!.

This box is almost perfect. My biggest issue is the wood roost in front of the box. It is way too narrow. My hens were uncomfortable trying to step from the roost into the box. I added wider pieces of wood to the existing roost bar area.

Works perfectly now. My hens are very willing to use the box with this modification. The other complaint I have is the inadequate instructions. The tiny black and white photos are useless especially when assembling the arms for the roost bar.

It goes on with the bent sides facing up. See the photos.

I like the size and weight of the nesting box and it serves my hens well. With that being said, the directions are extremely hard to figure out. Make sure you have two people putting it together on a flat surface (We used our kitchen island) and you need the appropriate tools.

If you can find an online setup direction sheet, get it as you can’t see the directions provided in the box. There are also some sharp edges that may need taken out. Overall, I would buy it again and just take my time putting it together with the correct tools.

Put some in a feeder tray and they will adore you. They will don’t seem to breed that way either, you’ll apparently need “housing” for that.

Well… not even 5 minutes after mounting this to my cage, my birds went nuts and literally fought taking this back to their individual nests…

awesome stuff to be able to watch the birds building there nest for the eggs in the nest at this point I do not go near or touch I just change the water and food and watch the mother bird sit on the eggs I can only hope they hatch.

Great value! Very easy to put together. For additional reinforcement, I used wood glue when piecing together. I bought 5.

Got the nest boxes quickly! I am 75 year old lady and I put these boxes together without cussing or getting upset! Hung them in my henhouse and my chickens have been laying since! Nice people to do business with!.