My first egg collected!!

[Katanahamon]

Yes. They have five total but are all choosing to lay in the same box at the moment.

My Ameraucana was singing the song yesterday, and decided to build a nest in the corner just outside the nest boxes..it was so sweet..she was pulling the aspen shards from those nest box pads I put in there out to add to her nest..I was so sure she would lay, but eventually she got up, went outside, and went about her chicken business. It was funny, the other chickens were all gathered around her watching her like they were concerned she was insane..

 

[Outta Here]

Soooo fun to find that first egg!!! Congratulations!

 

[Katanahamon]

Would placing fake plastic eggs in nest boxes encourage them to lay there?

I’m using heavy ceramic ones in the hopes casual pecking of the eggs can be discouraged. They explore with their beaks, so I doubt egg eating can be discouraged by just this one action, but, a chicken poppa can hope..!

 

[Outta Here]

Would placing fake plastic eggs in nest boxes encourage them to lay there?

Yes, fake eggs work, but plastic might be too lightweight. Wood and ceramic eggs feel and weigh the same as a real egg. My pullets all started to lay in the next box. Sometimes I can't tell which egg is real! I got mine here: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01820SV7S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[BreeShu]

Would placing fake plastic eggs in nest boxes encourage them to lay there?

I have been putting fake eggs in all the boxes after I saw the first one. For some reason they keep kicking all of the nesting material out of two boxes till they're completely bare, laying in one, ignoring two and someone once a week drops an egg out in the run.

 

[Callender Girl]

It sometimes helps to use fake eggs. I've used wooden ones and ceramic ones. I've had it work, and I've had the chickens totally ignore the fakes and crowd together yet again. It can't hurt to give it a try. Good luck!

BTW, my girl who started in a nest box, then began laying on the ground has now found a new location -- she sneaks into the BANTAM Cochins' nest area. Never mind that she's a full-sized Cochin and barely fits through the opening!

 

[ElizaMay]

Its my first time ever raising chickens so I'm super stoked to find my first egg. Heard my 18week old jersey giant making a ruckus this morning and was hoping it was the egg song I've heard about. But now I've gotta deal with was her choice to lay outside the nesting box.

Mazel tov!

 

[Katanahamon]

Its my first time ever raising chickens so I'm super stoked to find my first egg. Heard my 18week old jersey giant making a ruckus this morning and was hoping it was the egg song I've heard about. But now I've gotta deal with was her choice to lay outside the nesting box.

My girl did the same thing..but the very next day, today, she laid an egg right beside the fake one in the laying box!

 

[Katanahamon]

My girl did the same thing..but the very next day, today, she laid an egg right beside the fake one in the laying box!

Ok, thought she’d break her streak of five straight very first eggs, but late last night, I found this..jumping from 30ish grams in all the others, to 55 grams!!

 

[BreeShu]

Ok, thought she’d break her streak of five straight very first eggs, but late last night, I found this..jumping from 30ish grams in all the others, to 55 grams!!

Wholly molly!! I wonder if that'll be a double yolk. I've gotten two about that size and then my girl went back to laying smaller eggs, but the two big ones were both double yolked.