Do Chicken's Know ...?

[AppleMomma65]

I'm a potter and while I wait for my chicks to be delivered, I am making pots (I guess even if I wasn't waiting for chicks, I'd be making pots)! I've seen that people can buy "fake ceramic/wood eggs" that are put onto nests to help chickens know "Hey, this is where you lay eggs!" Is this a bunch of baloney, or does it really work? And if so, do you think that my handmade ceramic eggs would work (versus store bought - maybe they are specially weighted? I will glaze mine in similar colors as real eggs. And well, if they don't work, I can put them on display so really, it's a win either way. Thoughts?

 

[sourland]

They will work. I once had a mule duck that tried to incubate 3 apples.

 

[AppleMomma65]

They will work. I once had a mule duck that tried to incubate 3 apples.

LOL!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Don't really worry about making them "realistic" - the chickens will accept them as egg substitutes as long as they're mostly egg-like. I use golf balls. Some folks use rocks.

 

[aart]

Those are great!!
Fire 'em up!
Probably better than the 'ceramic' eggs you buy for chickens,
as they aren't really ceramic but more of a hard plaster.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Nice ceramic eggs! Yes, they should work if the hens will accept them. I bought some fake eggs and my hens would push them out of the nesting boxes onto the floor. They sure let me know they know what to do and where to do it! Ha! They like to use 3 or 4 of the 18 boxes available to them. I have found as many as 9 eggs on one box! Chickens be funny!