Do you leave fake eggs in nest box?

[jennyf]

Or remove once they start laying?

 

[Blooie]

I leave them. Don't know why - I just do.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi.

I leave them because I still have new layers maturing. Plus a couple of my girls will look for somewhere else to lay if they think the nest has been raided. That is with my flock of 48. When I had only 3, things were less complicated. Also I feel like if somebody pecks, less chance of discovering how tasty a real egg is.

Part of my problem... twice in a row, One set of the fake eggs I got is super large. So I've tapped a couple eggs thinking they were fake only to have them crack on me. I was going to mark it so I didn't collect it again, maybe next time. And yes I've collected a fake one thinking it was real, never made it to the carton though.

 

[5acresandadream]

I use golf balls. I have new pullets learning where to lay, and it has worked. I just put one in a box and leave it.

 

[aart]

I leave them in to 'spread the love'.

 

[weirdlywired]

Or remove once they start laying?

We have ten and believe seven are now laying.
The very next day after removing the fake eggs, hoping they had all figured out where to go and not mess with things there, one of the layers broke an egg shell in the nesting box so we returned the fakes.

No more broken/pecked eggs since returning them.

So, now they stay! We may remove them again once we know all are laying, but I don't know...

 

[jennyf]

Thanks for the replies! Mine are staying in for now.

 

[Cacique500]

I leave mine in...too many posts about snakes getting eggs and I figured if one tries he's going to have a hard time passing a ceramic egg.

 

[Blooie]

I leave mine in...too many posts about snakes getting eggs and I figured if one tries he's going to have a hard time passing a ceramic egg

Switch those ceramic eggs with wooden ones and give those snakes a few splinters when they swallow!

 

[Cacique500]

Switch those ceramic eggs with wooden ones and give those snakes a few splinters when they swallow!

I like it!