I have replaced all my nest boxes with Tidy Cats cat litter and I am absolutely thrilled! My nest boxes stay incredibly clean and the chickens are happy too.

This is a great and extremely popular “garden trick”! Using Tidy Cats cat litter (or similar) in your chicken coop is a real step forward in terms of cleanliness and practicality.

Many people wouldn’t think it, but the plastic litter solution outperforms traditional wooden nest boxes in several ways:

Why does it work so well?
Hygiene and disinfection: Wood is porous, so mites and lice can settle in the gaps. With plastic litter, you just have to remove it, spray it with a hose and wash it with disinfectant water. It dries and is sterile in a matter of minutes.
Easy to replace the litter: If an egg accidentally breaks, the wood won’t absorb it. Just empty the bowl, rinse it, and you can put fresh straw or wood chips in it.

Durability: Plastic doesn’t rot from ammonia or moisture, so it’s practically a forever piece.

Comfort for the chickens: The edge of the bowls is the right height: it keeps the litter inside, but at the same time it’s comfortable for the hens to climb in and out.
Some tips for even greater efficiency:
Fixation: It’s worth holding the bowls in a frame or loosely attaching them to the shelf with a screw so that the hens can’t tip them over when they get to work at full speed.

Slope: If possible, install the shelf with a minimal slope towards the back. This will help the eggs roll towards the back wall, which will protect them from being trampled on or possibly eaten.
Diatomaceous earth: Before you put fresh straw in the bowl, sprinkle a little diatomaceous earth on the bottom. This, combined with a plastic bowl, provides almost 100% protection against external parasites in the nest.
Fun fact: Many farmers say that dark gray or dark blue bowls are best because hens instinctively seek out darker, more sheltered places to lay their eggs, so they feel safer.

How many nests do you have in total? If you have any ideas, I’d be happy to help you design the rest of the coop (like perches) to make cleaning there as easy as possible!

Leave a Comment