We have a golf ball in each of our laying boxes. Two of our five 5-month old hens are laying, and both of them went right in the box to lay their eggs. Can I take the golf balls out, now that I already have two ladies using the nest boxes, or should I leave them until all 5 are laying? There's no reason I have to leave them permanently, is there?
I think that's really kind of a play-it-by-ear question. I think i left mine in for about 6 months, and now i don't need them. But the first time i took them out, it seemed to throw everyone off, and i ended up putting them back for a few more months.
I took mine out because I thought they had it all figured out. My EE who was the best at going in the nests suddenly stopped laying. I found a clutch of eggs under some thick bushes surrounding a wayward whiffle ball the kids had lost. Guess they like to be faked out! The plastic eggs are back in the nests indefinitely! Ha Ha Ha
I've had fake eggs in each nest box for about a month now waiting for my pullets to start laying, we they started laying this week and I've gotten 6 eggs so far and not one layed in any of the nest boxes!
