Hens laying eggs!

[dldavis34]

I heard that if you put plastic eggs in the hens nest boxes that it will help get them to lay eggs. Does anyone know if this is true or not? I have 12 hens that are 19 weeks old now and they still aren't laying any eggs. I am getting impatient!

 

[greyhorsewoman]

You didn't say what breed, but you are the 'cusp' so to speak for egg-laying. You can put plastic eggs or golf balls in your nest boxes to encourage your chickens to lay there. Pretty soon you'll be getting close to a dozen a day and wondering what to do with them all !

 

[dldavis34]

My hens are all white rocks. I forgot to add that in there.

 

[Branderella]

I put a golf ball in one of the boxes and she chose the other box, but still it worked!

 

[embkm]

The golf ball/ fake egg doesn't get them to lay. What it does is to help them know where to lay when the time comes.

 

[cmom]

Using golf ball or fake eggs don't make the birds lay any better but it help keep the birds laying in the nest boxes.

 

[Malou-La-Croix]

golf balls worked for us! Got our first egg two days ago, and there has been one laid every day since (in the nest box, which previously both hens ignored). I would place them in the nest box when I noticed they were getting close to laying...and they would sort of peck at the golf balls a bit.

 

[dldavis34]

Thank you for your ideas. I am getting very eager for my girls to start laying! I will certainly try golf balls.

 

[FlockMama]

Here is my first egg next to a ping pong ball! I couldn't believe it worked and she layed right in that box! I have 5 boxes for 4 girls. 2 are laying. One day the ping pong ball went missing, now I just use a plastic easter egg in case they forget

 

[Malou-La-Croix]

When I realized my girls were close to laying, red combs and wattles, squatting, I would go out a few times a day and pick them up and place them into the nest boxes. I had two golf balls in the nest, and they would cock their heads and peck at the balls. Then one evening I put them into the nest box as I was putting them to bed for the night and one hen stayed in the box for about 30 mins. I watched her and -voila- she laid her first egg right in front of me! So I think a combo of golf balls and placing them into the nest works. Here is a pic of the first egg, with both hens in the nest!