Does the golf ball in the hen box really work?

[Iamaqte]

Hello fellow chicken lovers...

My 1st batch of babies are coming of age and i am "patiently" waiting for them to lay me some eggs. Well alright, i am the most impatient person in the world so they need to get working on this.. LOL.
Anywho - I have a read a couple of forums about using golf balls... Does this work? Has anyone seen it work and had a good turn out with it? How long do i keep the golf ball in there? How many should I use? Do i put the golf balls in all the boxes?

Ya know, on another note, how many hen boxes per hen should I have? I have 8 per my 22 chickens (roosters mixed in there too).

At this point none of them are using the boxes. The sit out side of them with their head resting on the outside of the box. Darn Chickens! O, I lied. I saw a rooster in one last night.

I wish they would just use them already.. They are the old metal ones so i couldnt get them up by myself, so i nagged at my hubby till he finally put them up. Then last night we went to close them up for the night and he saw they were using them. Ooops. LOL

 

[CarriBrown]

The golf balls teach them where you want them to lay. I also use them to "find" a broody.
You should have one box per 4-5 hens.

 

[LilyRoseDaisy]

I used egg-size river rocks in my boxes and all of them learned right away to lay there. It works!
1 box per 3 hens is enough! good luck!

 

[Nyna]

My hens were laying on the floor in straw and I put one golf ball in each box and they started laying in the boxes right away! I still have the balls in there, it's been a few weeks. But I'm sure I could take them out and they'd be fine. Yeah, it's funny but works great!

 

[rufus]

In some ways chickens are not very bright. We used to put door knobs, old light bulbs, golf balls etc in the nest. They always seem to want to lay on the other chickens eggs. I suspect it has more to do with how the thing feels under them rather than visual appearance. My dad used to pass time whittling wooden eggs for the hens.

Rufus

 

[thndrdancr]

Iam,

Also you shouldnt really let them use the nest boxes to sleep in. Just to lay eggs in. Otherwise your nest boxes and eggs will get all pooey.

Jill

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

Finally someone finally answered that question of golfballs LOL... BUT, when do you put the "fake eggs" in the boxes?? My babies are 15 weeks and I am completley unsure when to put the "fake eggs" in the boxes. I have heard that people also use the plastic easter eggs LOL... I guess if it works.

Tes

 

[Country Gal]

I have the same question... "WHEN do you put the fake eggs in?" Maybe a couple weeks before they start laying, or wait until they actually start laying?

Just curious, is it possible that putting fake eggs in the boxes before they actually start laying may cause them to start laying sooner? Just a silly question because I don't know about the inner workings of a chicken and what causes them to start laying...

 

[HobbyChickener]

I waiting for the answer as well. I am at about 16 weeks and omlete ready!! Not letting them sleep in there isn't a problem, I can't get them to go in there at all so maybe this will help.

 

[Iamaqte]

Well i think my rooster was just checking them out... mostly they just sleep with their heads in the box and their butt outside of it.. They are weird.

I am getting golf balls tonight! I will let you all know how it turns out!

I did get an egg though.. Only to find out my duck layed it.. but that is first egg since I have had , so that was exctiting to see. Hopefully she keeps laying on it...