Besides fake eggs and golf balls, what else have you used that worked to prevent a nesting box war?

[katie_94]

I'm trying to deter my girls from favoring one nesting box and I've read that this can be prevented using fake/ceramic eggs or golf balls but I have neither! If I don't have to buy some, what else can be used that is just as effective? That's if I have it readily available lol. If I don't, I'd still love to hear what else you've used bc I'm sure it's a hilarious solution regardless.

Thank you!

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Rocks maybe

 

[Mrs. K]

I have used rocks, have rocks in there right now. Often times my hens will throw the golf balls out?

 

[katie_94]

I have used rocks, have rocks in there right now. Often times my hens will throw the golf balls out?

I have some broken up cement that looks like rocks lol. Do they have to resemble eggs? as in roundness, smooth, and size?

 

[SueT]

Real eggs. Use real eggs. Collect them at end of day, put them out again next day.

 

[neo71665]

My grandma had some river stones that were roughly rock shaped. Easter eggs filled with a bit of sand (for weight) and glued shut works also.

Still won't fix a favorite box issue. Never fails hens will all want to lay in the same box even if there are fake eggs. I have golf balls in all 4 my nest boxes and all 11 of my hens still wanna use the same box. Three empty boxes in front of them but they will pace back and forth until the hen in the one box leaves.

 

[nchls school]

White/frosted light bulbs; anything that remotely resembles an egg. Dummy eggs can be made out of natural clays, dried, and painted white. Pieces of white bread mixed with white glue and rolled into egg shapes. Cement?? only if it's kind of like an egg shape, fairly smooth, and pale colored.

 

[Mrs. K]

I try and get the most egg like shape rock I can.

 

[katie_94]

My grandma had some river stones that were roughly rock shaped. Easter eggs filled with a bit of sand (for weight) and glued shut works also.

Still won't fix a favorite box issue. Never fails hens will all want to lay in the same box even if there are fake eggs. I have golf balls in all 4 my nest boxes and all 11 of my hens still wanna use the same box. Three empty boxes in front of them but they will pace back and forth until the hen in the one box leaves.

Don't live near a river aww and I have some huge plastic eggs with bunny ears that I'd have to cut off lol... Chickens are so silly! My girls would yell at each other to move or hurry up

 

[katie_94]

White/frosted light bulbs; anything that remotely resembles an egg. Dummy eggs can be made out of natural clays, dried, and painted white. Pieces of white bread mixed with white glue and rolled into egg shapes. Cement?? only if it's kind of like an egg shape, fairly smooth, and pale colored.

I'm scared of the light bulbs breaking or the white bread getting moldy/nasty. The dummy egg made out of clay is an excellent idea.
Yeah, the cement is far from egg shape lol....