DUMMY NEST EGGS !

[chookhead]

golf balls and ping pong balls lol i used them they love them

 

[bwalden]

Murrary McMurray does have them. Got a dozen for less than $15 shipping and all. Thanks

 

[Chickaroos]

I just painted plastic easter eggs white. Still waiting to see if it'll do the trick

 

[dainerra]

I just painted plastic easter eggs white. Still waiting to see if it'll do the trick

I don't even paint mine. I just toss them into the nest boxes.

 

[bwalden]

ok dummy eggs in the nest for about a week now. Hens still laying on the coop floor. any suggestions?

 

[tweetysvoice]

Where is your nest box in comparison to the roosts? I've heard it's better to have it lower than the roosts.
It is easily accessible? Make sure they can get in there
Is it "hidden"? Make sure it's not opened up to where the whole world can see it.
These are just a couple ideas that I've read about.

 

[animallover505]

I use golf balls. Snakes seem to go for rounder "eggs" first, and will grab them first, and they are cheap. (Of course, I used to live near a country club and had buckets full because people would hit them into our yard and leave them)

 

[Cotton42]

Why fight it? Put a nesting box on the coop floor where they are laying.

 

[bwalden]

Where is your nest box in comparison to the roosts? I've heard it's better to have it lower than the roosts.
It is easily accessible? Make sure they can get in there
Is it "hidden"? Make sure it's not opened up to where the whole world can see it.
These are just a couple ideas that I've read about.

My nest boxes are accessable on my coop to me from the outside of my coop and my run. My roost are level to or higher than my nest boxes. I would say about 16-18 inches off the floor of the coop. I know the hens could easily go into the next boxes because I have seen one or two roost on a small perch I made right in front of the next boxes. I would really like them to use the next boxes so I can gather eggs without having to go inside my coop and run every day. I have automatic feeders and waterers so there is no need for me to go inside every day other than to gather eggs right now. I removed all the pine shavings from the coop floor yesterday thinking maybe they will look for a better (softer) place to lay their eggs. Guess if they never figure it out I could always build another set of boxes on the floor of the coop.

 

[bwalden]

update: well it's been almost 2 weeks since I put the dummy nest eggs in my nest boxes. I still have a couple eggs a day on the coop floor. But for the most part they are all using the nest boxes. Amazes me how chickens can learn like that. I've trained mine to drink from nipple waterers, go to roost at night, use a chicken ramp and now to use the nest boxes.