AstroTurf Poultry Nesting Pads are the original 3D nest pads. We have solutions for broiler breeders and for cage free environments that are designed from 3rd party research results.
Designed with health, productivity and profitability of your flock in mind. AstroTurf Poultry is the original and leading manipulatable nesting pad in the U.S. Our solutions are designed based on many 3rd party market research around hen preference and egg health. With the rapid switch to cage free eggs, AstroTurf Poultry is the only similar solution that will meet the 1M width demands. Inspired by grass blades, AstroTurf Poultry nest pads keep eggs well above the bacteria on the ground in the nest reducing the amount of rejected eggs.
Pads for broiler breeders
Cage free pads for commercial egg producers
Nesting pads were among our earliest innovations. Poultry production was struggling with keeping up with labor demanded in the 1970’s. Ray England was creating a new “egg roll out” system in Arkansas for hen nest systems that would allow a farmer to gather more eggs with less labor. He found that AstroTurf® was an ideal substrate to attract hens to the new labor-saving system of poultry husbandry. Mr. England contacted the company and quietly purchased scrap materials for his purpose.
Ultimately, Ray’s growing business consumed all the factory scrap materials. Together with Ray, the company began working on the first artificial turfs for poultry production with the relationship continuing into the 1990s.
The poultry market was booming and producers were having to scrap a high percentage of their product due to the lack of cleanliness. The grass-like bladed of our product would be a smart way to reduce the amount of the egg touching the substrate while allowing any excrement and bacteria to fall below. The original design we created with Ray, remains today. By 1992, the company had engaged in research on hen color preferences and was awarded patent 5,159,896 for a specific color of grey turf that encouraged nesting behavior.
Follow-up studies by the company in 1996 indicated 68% of laying houses in the US had been converted to mechanical systems using primarily AstroTurf as a nesting substrate.
In 2012 we created a 2nd option based on further research. Our NXT (v5.2) design has proven to be preferred by hens and provides a further level of clean eggs.The use of AstroTurf for poultry nesting continues to accelerate globally as living standards improve and wages rise.
Nature-inspired innovations and people with the passion and know-how is what sets GrassWorx apart in every industry in which we compete.
