have you ever placed golf balls in the nest box?

[mksenoj]

we use golf balls helps them find the spot to lay

 

[Lobzi]

I was informed that Chickie wants me to lay and egg in the nests he have made for me. Would it be mean to put a golf ball in them? I was thinking of doing that.

 

[papadekaitlyn]

RE: Disappearing golf ball

I use the golf balls, but occasionally my hens will bury the ball in the most used nest under the bedding. They dig it back out when they want too, and sometimes I dig it out.

Silly question, but did you check down in the nest box bedding to see if they'd just buried it in there?

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I used gold balls. I started when I had an egg eatter and was told her on BYC to put in golf balls because if the Hen tried to eat it, they would have discomfort when pecking.

No more egg eatting. I have one golf ball in each nest.

Gristar - You have snakes? I had a friend who found a snake caught trying to get out the chicken wire because it had swallowed a golf ball and got stuck.

 

[sandypaws]

my friend had some "bushytailed squirrls" that would get her eggs... and steal the golfballs thinking they were eggs...
maybe they put them back...

unless they live in irland or the artic.. you have snakes... and not all types of snakes are egg eaters.. very very few snakes will eat eggs... for a snake to eat a ball it had to smell like something else..

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yep, I pick up the whole wad of hay and shake it. It's just funny. Somehow I'm missing it or "losing it" which seems more likely.

There are snakes around. I've seen a juvenile black snake out by the coop. They'd have to sneak in during the day when the door is open because the coop is sealed tight at night.
I've been growing egg gourds to put in the nests come spring. This is what my SO's family always did to deal with snakes, but I'm not sure how I feel about using them. I'll probably just keep them for decorations or to replace the golf balls.
Long as it's just the black snakes and not the mocassins we have down by the pond, I'm not gonna worry about it.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I've taken the golf balls out of the nests for now b/c my single laying bird knows where to go. I'll put them back wehn our other girls get close to laying. They seem like they've got a couple more weeks to go.

 

[alyssa558]

I did not use golf balls and all my babies figured out where to lay all on their own!

I would never use the golf balls on the off-chance a Black Rat Snake would eat it by accident. I have heard of three such cases recently (all had successful surgery, luckily) and totally worry about all the Rat Snakes slithering around with golf balls in their stomachs. The theory is that since the chicken lays on it that is smells/tastes like chicken and that's whey they eat them. Poor snakes!

 

[portlandpeeps]

Quote:
not one black rat snake here in Portland. I would feel bad about harming any animal though...EVEN a snake.