Fake eggs setup

[redinator]

My oldest pullets are 18 weeks. Today I put out a few fake eggs in various spots I want them to lay. Oddly enough the 2 cockerels seemed more concerned than the pullets. I wish I had my phone out because they both stared at it for several minutes and had a conversation about it. I can only imagine it went something like . . . "Is that one of yours?" "No, are you sure it isn't yours?"

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Good roosters will get in the boxes and call the hens or pullets over and show them where to lay. The girls are watching, and will pay better attention as they get to the point of lay.

 

[redinator]

Good roosters will get in the boxes and call the hens or pullets over and show them where to lay. The girls are watching, and will pay better attention as they get to the point of lay.

They're all 18 weeks and under. Do they really know what an egg is?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They're all 18 weeks and under. Do they really know what an egg is?

Most of what a chicken does is all instinct. They just know stuff. Makes them cooler.

 

[redinator]

Most of what a chicken does is all instinct. They just know stuff. Makes them cooler.

I'm hoping that's true, I'm getting a bit anxious myself. I'm hoping putting the eggs out will get the girls gears going, lol.

 

[redinator]

When one of the girls lays the first egg, do I leave it so they don't "move the nest" or take the laid egg and leave the fake?

 

[tlcmurphy]

When one of the girls lays the first egg, do I leave it so they don't "move the nest" or take the laid egg and leave the fake?

Take the egg and leave the fake

 

[redinator]

This might be a good sign. After talking about the eggs I remembered I needed to put out oyster shell. I bought it months ago, but forgot about it. One of the pullets claimed the bowl for herself. It might be the piece of the puzzle that was missing.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

They're all 18 weeks and under. Do they really know what an egg is?

They might not identify it as “egg, perhaps a product of my body, which I must nourish,” but they certainly react to it.

I added fake ceramic eggs to both nesting boxes around 16-17 weeks or so. A week later, I saw the Easter Egger in the nesting boxes, pulling over the hemp bedding and tucking it around herself to make a nest. A week or less after that, she started laying at 19 weeks. The other two started less than 2 weeks later.

Note: ANYTHING vaguely roundish-ovoid will work, including fake eggs, golf balls, and even roundish stones. It’s quite amazing, and absolutely wonderful.

Edit to add: two fake eggs was all it took with my three. You don’t need to load it up.

 

[redinator]

They might not identify it as “egg, perhaps a product of my body, which I must nourish,” but they certainly react to it.

I added fake ceramic eggs to both nesting boxes around 16-17 weeks or so. A week later, I saw the Easter Egger in the nesting boxes, pulling over the hemp bedding and tucking it around herself to make a nest. A week or less after that, she started laying at 19 weeks. The other two started less than 2 weeks later.

Note: ANYTHING vaguely roundish-ovoid will work, including fake eggs, golf balls, and even roundish stones. It’s quite amazing, and absolutely wonderful.

Edit to add: two fake eggs was all it took with my three. You don’t need to load it up.
View attachment 4150876

I put one in each location I want them to consider laying in, lol. Knowing my girls though they'll lay wherever they want and I'll be fishing eggs out from under the hen house, rather than in the boxes.