Fake eggs for laying encouragement

[chickfamilyonsleepyhollow]

We put a couple of plastic eggs in one box and a couple of golf balls in the other ... our girls used both boxes from the get go

 

[littleboots]

Egg like creek stones will also work.

Fake eggs will also encourage chickens to grow broody.

Broody means she'll naturally want to sit on the eggs to hatch them. This is great for someone who wants to reproduce and hatch their own flock, but maybe not so good for someone who wants all their birds to lay (they don't lay eggs while broody and unless chicks eventually hatch underneath them they can be broody for a long time and it can be difficult to break).

For more of my stuff check out my site, http://www.abundantpermaculture.com

 

[AHenNamedPepper]

We always used golf balls and it works great

 

[DenverBird]

Not sure if anyone's mentioned this but I've heard that the faux eggs are so that the hen doesn't come out and think that all her eggs are gone, and thus conclude the nest is not a safe place to lay. Hennies are not very good at counting (or telling their eggs from golf balls) so it only takes one or two golf balls, round stones, or whatever you use. I use golf balls, BTW but have used rounded stones too.

Good luck!

-DB

 

[jeremey]

the golf balls work good and they are a lot cheaper then fake eggs

 

[DenverBird]

Oh, yeah, this is usually the kind of discussion where I'll turn to the newbie and whisper, "they're not very smart, you know."

 

[Jdc361]

If I have brown egg layers, can I use fake WHITE eggs?

 

[lindseyawest]

If I have brown egg layers, can I use fake WHITE eggs?

Curious to know the answer to this myself.

 

[jeremey]

I have brown egg layers and I use white golf balls and they work. I have used yellow ones before and it worked to

 

[Brawley Leigh]

Does the color of the ceramic egg matter...dumb question I'm sure but I'm a beginner. I have the brown ceramic and ended up with Leghorns that lay white eggs....will any ole egg or golf ball work?