Optimal amount of fake eggs to put in coop with four hens?

[Chubbicthe2nd]

What is the optimal amount of fake eggs to put in a coop with four hens? We did it originally to encourage them to lay and especially to discourage egg eating.

Now those don't seem to be issues, but when they do lay eggs they then push all the fake ones over as well, make a little nest, and then sit on them and get all fluffy and intense looking.

One of the hens (my sweetest one -- a light Sussex) wouldn't get off of her nest of three real eggs plus five fake ones, even when I brought in fresh food and treats. I actually had to sort of gently push her off the nest and take the eggs, and she squawked at me very loudly.

I don't put five fake eggs in one spot, she must have somehow collected them from all over the coop and lumped them together.

This is a little nest they've made with the large flake wood chip bedding in a corner of the coop on the floor. They have a nicer nesting box they refuse to use.

 

[Buckeye Amy]

It sounds like they don't like the nest box you've provided. It may be too small, not private enough, etc. If you can block off the nest they've made and improve the nest you want them to use it might help them decide to use it. What material is in the nest box, wood shavings?

 

[DemeterAD9]

Just one in each nest box should be plenty. Once they figure out where to lay they won't need fake eggs. Having a bunch of fake eggs together can encourage a hen to go broody so better to prevent that unless you want to hatch eggs. Sounds like the one hen who got grumpy with you may already be feeling broody.

I have 4 nest boxes for 19 pullets (only halfish are laying) and only 2 boxes have a single golf ball in them. They seem to enjoy laying in the boxes with golf balls and lots of straw which they shape to suit them. The boxes are lined with soft feed bags, dusted with shavings, then topped off with straw. I just added a wooden crate for under their coop so I don't have to crawl all the way under it when they decide to lay there while free ranging. It's fixed up the same way and a pullet jumped right in and already laid an egg without needing a fake egg.

 

[aart]

Just one in each nest box should be plenty.

Ditto Dat.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Just one in each nest box should be plenty

x3. Though just to be contrary I currently have one box without, one box with 1, one box with 2. Was kind of curious as to whether 2 golf balls was more appealing than 1, but looks like that's not the case.

The box without a ball is specifically for my very finicky Barnevelder.

 

[2 Acres]

What is the optimal amount of fake eggs to put in a coop with four hens? We did it originally to encourage them to lay and especially to discourage egg eating.

Now those don't seem to be issues, but when they do lay eggs they then push all the fake ones over as well, make a little nest, and then sit on them and get all fluffy and intense looking.

One of the hens (my sweetest one -- a light Sussex) wouldn't get off of her nest of three real eggs plus five fake ones, even when I brought in fresh food and treats. I actually had to sort of gently push her off the nest and take the eggs, and she squawked at me very loudly.

I don't put five fake eggs in one spot, she must have somehow collected them from all over the coop and lumped them together.

This is a little nest they've made with the large flake wood chip bedding in a corner of the coop on the floor. They have a nicer nesting box they refuse to use.

If my hens lay 3 eggs, I take one and leave 2. If my hens lay 4 eggs I leave 2 eggs and take one. If my chickens lay 5 eggs I take 3 and leave 2. I always typically try to keep 2-3 eggs in the nest boxes.

To me... The fake eggs might be confusing the chickens. There's nothing wrong with eggs being on the coop floor. Just watch where you step.

Some of my chickens will lay eggs on the floor, in an "out of the way" place. Mine do it behind a piece of luan plywood. Usually there's 3 chickens, and about 8-10 eggs on the floor.

Chickens that lay together, stay together

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If my hens lay 3 eggs, I take one and leave 2. If my hens lay 4 eggs I leave 2 eggs and take one. If my chickens lay 5 eggs I take 3 and leave 2. I always typically try to keep 2-3 eggs in the nest boxes.

To me... The fake eggs might be confusing the chickens. There's nothing wrong with eggs being on the coop floor. Just watch where you step.

Some of my chickens will lay eggs on the floor, in an "out of the way" place. Mine do it behind a piece of luan plywood. Usually there's 3 chickens, and about 8-10 eggs on the floor.

Chickens that lay together, stay together

? How do you know from one day to the next, that you're taking the freshest eggs? I'd be afraid of leaving old eggs out there until one explodes! Or worse, taking old eggs out and not knowing it until I crack one into a pan and find a half-developed chick! I just put golf balls in the nests as "fake eggs," and take ALL the eggs out every day, then there's no doubt I'm bringing fresh eggs into the house.