Fake egg, nesting box Q

[Miriahbrown]

We just finished our external nesting boxes attached to our coop. We had temporary milk crate ones in the coop for 2 weeks until these were built. We bought ceramic brown eggs to help them know where to lay.. and they kept kicking them out of the crates?

Last night we had the nesting boxes finished and we put the ceramic eggs in them... 1 in each box. This morning my daughter found them knocked out of boxes...?! There is a 2.5-3inch lip where I installed a board to keep the bedding from coming out and get somehow they lifted and kicked out the eggs?! I'm not sure what to do, so I gathered 3 rocks that seem egg shaped. Is that ok? That way they can't kick them out.. but will that make them feel like they aren't eggs and break the illusion and make them not lay in there? Trying to encourage laying in the actual boxes today (first day with them attached in)

 

[Miriahbrown]

 

[nuthatched]

Rocks, golf balls etc will work. But they really don't need to br there.
They aren't purposefully kicking out the eggs, they're exploring the nest box.

 

[aart]

There is a 2.5-3inch lip where I installed a board to keep the bedding from coming out

Try a higher lip, 4-6" above the top of bedding.

 

[Mrs. K]

I use rocks all the time. Golf balls are kind of light, and do get kicked out.