Fake Eggs in Nesting Boxes-- Good Idea, Nah, or Meh?

[Habakkuk]

We always put an egg in nesting barrels and always have eggs laid in them in them

 

[Gramma Chick]

I get the easter eggs . Around easter time they have plain white eggs to paint , I find that the ceramic eggs are a little hard and sometimes they crack the eggs . I have older hens . so my eggs arent as thick shelled as new ones .

 

[asorum]

If and when I get started, I saw this as a possible 3D printing project.

https://www.printables.com/model/587037-chicken-egg

 

[SlaterFarm]

I put a fake egg in the left-front nest box months ago, to see what would happen. With over 840 eggs so far the eight girls just about always use the same nest (left-front), except maybe 10 or 12 exceptions in their 10-months, in the coop, the run, and I even found a couple on the yard. This morning a hen was sitting on four and had kicked the fake egg out onto the coop floor. (see pic) While it may have been kicked out unintentionally, it still made me laugh. A few weeks ago I put the fake egg in the right-rear box, but they kept laying in their favorite left-front nest. So, while I'm not quite convinced that a fake egg makes them do anything different, I still wonder why of the four nest boxes available to them, all eight of the girls almost always lay in the same left-front box.

 

[kattabelly]

This morning a hen was sitting on four and had kicked the fake egg out onto the coop floor. (see pic) While it may have been kicked out unintentionally, it still made me laugh.

One of my nesting boxes currently contains a fake egg and a real egg that I didn't bother collecting because it had been stood on by very poopy chicken feet, because I'm hopelessly optimistic enough to think that might convince some of the pullets that are just starting to lay that they don't all have to use the same nest as the older girls. (Never had a problem with egg eaters, so I'm not worried about leaving the real egg for a few weeks.)

The real egg is always left alone, when one of the newbies is trying out nests or one of my regular layers decides she can't hold it in any longer and the substandard nest next to The Good Nest will have to do. The fake egg is always either buried right under all the nest material, or kicked out.

I was closing one of the coops overnight for a few weeks recently, because I didn't want some newly weaned chicks to end up outside if they fell or got pecked off the roost. Two of the pullets sleeping in that coop usually lay in everyone's favourite nest, in a different coop. One gave in and used the a nest in the coop she was in, if she wanted to lay very early before I'd opened the door. One absolutely refused to even consider it and would either pop an egg out from up on the roost, or hold it in until I let them out and she'd come running out shouting and make a dash for the nest she wanted.

Chickens

 

[Tired old Rooster]

Makes sense to me, that a hen would be more likely to lay where laying is apparently already occurring. But a neighbor says nope, the hen will avoid laying in that box because another hen is using it. I have seen plenty of hens doubling up on the same nesting box so kind of had to call BS on that.

Yep, your neighbor couldn't possibly be more wrong on that. Two of my hens squeezed into a nest box together, laying eggs is so common a thing that I barely notice. Knowing them, it will not surprise me, if one day three of them need to lay and I discover all three of them squeezed into a nest box like a tin of sardines.
Right now, I have two broody hens that I had to cage in, to keep the others from laying more eggs in their nests, until they are doing a balancing act on a pile of eggs.

Bear in mind, the primary reason, for what we call the "egg song", is to let all the hens in the flock know where an egg has been laid, so they can all chip in and help build a clutch fast.

 

[kattabelly]

Knowing them, it will not surprise me, if one day three of them need to lay and I discover all three of them squeezed into a nest box like a tin of sardines.
Right now, I have two broody hens that I had to cage in, to keep the others from laying more eggs in their nests, until they are doing a balancing act on a pile of eggs.

Yup, sounds familiar

(Grumpy girl in front was broody and had just escaped from a three-way pileup)

Bear in mind, the primary reason, for what we call the "egg song", is to let all the hens in the flock know where an egg has been laid, so they can all chip in and help build a clutch fast.

Do you have a source for that? My understanding is that it's a call for an escort back to the group once they're done laying. That's why in a mixed flock it will be (one of) the male bird(s) who respond to the call.

 

[FrostRanger]

Yep, your neighbor couldn't possibly be more wrong on that. Two of my hens squeezed into a nest box together, laying eggs is so common a thing that I barely notice. Knowing them, it will not surprise me, if one day three of them need to lay and I discover all three of them squeezed into a nest box like a tin of sardines.
Right now, I have two broody hens that I had to cage in, to keep the others from laying more eggs in their nests, until they are doing a balancing act on a pile of eggs.

Bear in mind, the primary reason, for what we call the "egg song", is to let all the hens in the flock know where an egg has been laid, so they can all chip in and help build a clutch fast.

I once had 3 girls in one box. They all want the good nest lol

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Don't recall if I have responded to this thread or not. I use golf balls, some yellow, some white. It seems to help the pullets understand where to lay. Although at the moment one has missed the memo and is depositing her contribution on the floor. In a corner. Waaaaay in the back where I can barely reach. Very cute, Helga.

 

[Winston1]

I have never used a fake egg...the gals seem to figure it out. They have 3 nesting areas and they all seem to use the one that everyone else used. I've had 3-4 eggs in the same nest and I have 5 gals. I have not had a broody one yet but I'm sure that will change at some point.