Artificial Grass in the Nest Boxes

A clean clutch of eggs.

Our Australorps were scratching out all of the bedding we were using in their nest boxes. They'd scratch out all the straw or what have you, then lay their eggs, too many of which were broken or dented when they hit the wood floor of the box.

The solution we came up with as to place mats of artificial grass in the boxes. The hens seem to like the new accommodations (they don't try to scratch out the grass) and the eggs are kept clean. If one should break, the egg drains through the mat, keeping the other eggs dry and allowing the "grass" fibers at the surface to dry quickly. Way less mess. An added bonus might be that since the egg drains away quickly, potential egg-eaters might be discouraged.

The mats of grass are attached to the floor in one back corner of the nest boxes with a flat-head screw and a washer, making it easy to lift the mat and clean under it. When necessary, taking out the screw and removing the mat for a wash with soap and water will be a snap. 

A happy hen about to lay a nice clean egg.