leave old egg in nest?

[jonara]

Hi..my two hens just started laying. (they are about 5 1/2 mo old) They free range in the day and so I did not know where their nests were. We finally found both the nests..one with 12 eggs and one with 14. We took all of the eggs off except for one because I am hoping they will still use these same nests so I know where they are. I don't think a golf ball will work for them as my husband hits them over our gulch and we have golf balls everywhere lol! Should I leave the old egg on the nest or is that not necessary?

I also put on in the nest box we made in their coup..they do sit in it sometimes..but so far it's been about 4 and 5 days since we broke up their broodiness and they have not layed again yet. At least not in their old nest. They did go back to it for a few minutes a couple of times..but are back to hanging out w/ the rooster all day again. How long till they start laying again?

thanks...jme

 

[saltiboys]

I don't know what time you let them out of the coop. Could you keep them inside of the coop until around 10:00 or 11:00 am and let them out later? They may lay in the nest boxes if they aren't free ranging in the morning. Maybe they would have a chance to lay before they went out for the day. Then you wouldn't have to go on a Easter egg hunt.

 

[jonara]

We let them out btween 7 and 8 a.m. I don't have a screened in part to the coop yet..it's fully closed w/ little holes here and there in the wood for ventilation so I don't wanna keep them in there too long. The rooster is usually crowing like mad when I go out to let him out. When I noticed Ivy was in her nest box leaving me an egg ..it was about 12:30 to 1:00 pm. I really would love to get a screened in area built off of the coop though so they can come out and get some fresh air before I'm ready to let them out. Hubby didn't see any reason..but if they will lay earlier in the nest boxes..then thats a good reason.

So far the first hen that we broke up from being broody has started laying again..she started two days ago so it took her 5 days to start laying again. She did go back to the coop and into the nest box I provided for her rather then back to her old nest. I had put one of her eggs in the nest box..so I don't know if that helped or not. I've got an old egg on each of the three nests..the one I made for them in the coop and the two they had made themselves on our property. I imagine they are gonna get old though..so I'm wondering if I should just take them off. I don't want them to make yet another nest..I'd rather them use the ones that I know about.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

growing up my granmother always put a fake egg or golf ball in the nest to bring the hen back...from time to time one or two would still make their own nest outside the hen house and you would find a full clutch later on...sometimes even broody and sitting on the nest by then.

 

[jonara]

hmm..I wonder if I should have left that old egg on the hen's nest that hasn't lay'd again since I broke up her broodiness w/ her first clutch. it's been about 5 days...like I said..we have golf balls everywhere ..I wonder if that confuses them lol!

 

[RocketDad]

Quote:
Do you mean you have golf balls scattered around the property? Yeah, that'll confuse them. I used white golfballs to nestbox train my girls. I opened the nest box at least once a day and move the balls from box to box, just to make sure the hens noticed them. Worked great.

I've heard of filling a blown egg with plaster to make it durable. Hobby Lobby sometimes sells terra-cotta "decorative" eggs that are a dead-ringer for my Black Australorp's eggs.