How long to keep dummy eggs in the nest boxes?

[mkcolls]

We used golf balls. Worked just fine. We left them in until all were laying.

We are now using them under a broody hen until we get a clutch ready for her to hatch. She seems fine with them.

 

[devora]

Permanently.

I have great confidence in my girls' ability to unlearn things.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

I got the wooden eggs at Michaels. They are exactly the shape and size of real eggs. I think there are about 4 to a bag. Trouble is they look so much like eggs that half of the time I get fooled into thinking there is another egg in the nest.

Today I made the nest boxes a bit deeper. I am using kitchen cabinets (the overhead hanging type) with the doors removed that I put on cement blocks. Since there was no lip to hold anything in they were kicking straw and dummy eggs out of the nests all the time. So I removed the bottom of the cabinet and filled the hole up with straw and shavings and kept it just a tad under the rim of the cabinet. So now I hope it'll be a bit harder to kick everything out.

There are now officially 4 laying hens out of 14. The three dominiques were the first, I have no idea who the fourth is. I need to catch her in the act sometime. I think she lays rather early in the morning.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Yes, I also have golf balls. THose were the first to be kicked out by my girls. I guess I can't fool them with those.

 

[suebee]

I'll check our michael's, thanks so much! I looked on ebay but too much $$ with shipping.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

I've also seen them at Joanne's Fabrics, if yours has a craft section, they may also carry them. I would imagine any craft store like Michaels would have them.

 

[kari_dawn]

I got ceramic ones at michaels too (instead of wood)! They come in white or brown...they look SO real. I had to mark mine with a purple spot on the end so I could tell them apart from the real thing!

 

[mohillbilly]

It's your call I leave some in & seems I'm always building more coops so I move some too the new coops.I need to mark them. I sold one to a customer she brought it back & I replaced it for her. I gave her a few extras & apologized .I had this guy eat one.

what kind of snake?...looks kind of like a diamond back from the pic but without head i can't be sure

 

[mohillbilly]

i never take out the fakes