Dummy eggs, when to remove?

[Volvo Farmer]

First, thanks for all the great help I have received on this forum.

I have 2 dummy eggs in a nest box. We didn't have wooden ones so these are made out of some sort of stone, like quartz. I was having problems getting the hens to lay in the nest box but they have been working great for the last 2 days. All the girls are laying in the nest box, and we came home to find 5 eggs yesterday (all in the same box of course)

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I just wonder how long I should leave the dummy eggs in the nest box. The hens were laying on top of a bag of wood shavings before, and I removed it from the coop. They seem to be laying where I want them to now, Should I leave the dummies in there a few more days? or weeks? or forever?

 

[pgpoultry]

I would give it a few more days so they are accustomed to always using that same spot.

 

[CarolJ]

I kept my fake eggs in the nest boxes for a couple months. I had to take a marker and write "FAKE" on the fake eggs, though, because they looked so realistic, it was hard to decide which eggs were real.

 

[Judy]

I never took my golf balls out. Some are 2+ years old; occasionally they lay somewhere else.

 

[henpeckedmuch]

My chickens have an impression on their bottoms that says "Titlelist" because they have set on the golf balls that I put in there nest for so long. I still have some young pullets that haven't started laying yet and until they do, the others will just have to take up golf.

 

[JodyJo]

Quote:
I 2nd this...my golf balls are still in the boxes

 

[Frostymug]

I just installed the nest boxes, that makes eight boxes for twenty gals. They are fifteen to sixteen weeks old and we figured it was time to start putting the dummy eggs in. We're going to try the golf ball method. My question(s) is...how many? Should every box have one or two? Should it be more random with a couple in one and none in the next?

 

[Cotton42]

I have pullets of different ages, most of which haven't started laying yet, so I doubt we'll be taking the easter eggs out of their boxes anytime soon. And Frostymug, one per box should do it.

 

[DanEP]

It seems like I always have new girls coming to point of lay so I just leave the golf balls in there all the time,besides I'm still trying to figure out who keeps moving them around. They never bother the eggs unless broody but some body keeps moving the golf balls.

 

[Den in Penn]

Leave mine in all the time. Switch up on which boxes have them in though. I have to move them myself, the lazy hens never move them.