Hi guys

I notice in a lot of your baby pics in boxes, there is wood shavings (?). Being new at this, I didnt put anything in my boxes as I know you dont HAVE to, but do the woodshavings help with keeping the box clean? I literally scrape out my boxes to keep them clean every day at the moment, to save me the problem of having to clean the babies feet and legs, which I have had to do just a couple of times and its hard work!

Wood shaving helps keep a dry clean nest. Keeps it warm for the babies too. Most mothers throw out the shavings up until the babies arrive and then they are too busy to care. Less poopiness and muck to clean out, and less poop sticks to the babies.

and it also helps with grip and balance with the babies having a non slip floor int he box.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts I think next time around, I will be using woodshavings hehe

If you are a bit of a green thumb like myself the box contents are tiped into the compost for the garden.

Yes, I think it would make great mulch for the garden!

Would you add the wood shavings after the first chick is hatched or before that........

I normally wait until a couple of babies have hatched before I put it in

Thank you

Sorry to be a pain, but just to clarify things so I dont upset any of my girls.....

I have a couple of boxes with chicks, one has two babies, the other two only have one each at this time. I just put a couple of handfuls of wood shavings in the one with two babies, and also the one with the older baby, but not the single one. Should I put it in all boxes that have chicks? About how much? I did notice the mother of the older chick hesitated before reentering the box and I worried overnight that the younger chicks mother might not go back in the box because of the "strange new stuff", but on checking this morning, everything seems fine. Would a hen ever get upset at this new addition and not go back in to look after her babies?

Sorry to be a pain, but just to clarify things so I dont upset any of my girls.....

I have a couple of boxes with chicks, one has two babies, the other two only have one each at this time. I just put a couple of handfuls of wood shavings in the one with two babies, and also the one with the older baby, but not the single one. Should I put it in all boxes that have chicks? About how much? I did notice the mother of the older chick hesitated before reentering the box and I worried overnight that the younger chicks mother might not go back in the box because of the "strange new stuff", but on checking this morning, everything seems fine. Would a hen ever get upset at this new addition and not go back in to look after her babies?

No. Sometimes they quack and complain and start removing the shavings but most often once they have chciks they leave it in place. Enough shavings is a layer over the bottom up to an inch deep.