playing with golf balls

[chickenbythesea]

Hello: I've asked some questions here about using golf balls in the nesting boxes to teach the chickens where to lay. You all tell me for sure it will work. I have to tell ya, not only has it not worked, they knock the golf balls out of the nesting boxes and bury them in the pine shavings. They're still laying eggs off the roost or just on the floor. I was thinking about leaving some of the eggs in the boxes so they'd get the idea but I'm worried about them pecking them and learning to be egg eaters. Is there any other way besides golf balls to teach them where to lay?
thanks

 

[galanie]

Well, you could take some of their actual eggs, mark them so you know which they are, and put those in the nests. They'll be ok a week or two in there. I was lucky enough that my local bird place had a couple fake chicken eggs for sale. Normally if you get the fake eggs like that you have to buy a dozen. That's why they say old golf balls, much cheaper.

Course if they like golf so much maybe you're on to something!

Kidding lol.

PS: I very much doubt they'll peck on the eggs and be egg eaters. Its natural for a chicken to lay an egg a day for some days and then sit on them to incubate. They dont normally peck the ones that are already there.

 

[stilldeb]

You can buy some 'fake eggs' and use them instead of golf balls. Mine play golf with golf balls, too. You can hear the golf balls hitting the walls of the coop when they find them in the nest! ha I've found that they really figure it out by themselves without fake eggs or golf balls, though.

deb g

 

[dianneS]

If they're well fed, I doubt they will become egg eaters. Just mark the eggs you leave behind and it should work. I've never used golf balls and have always left eggs in the nest for the hens to get the idea and it always works. Perhaps the hens can sense that the golf balls are not eggs and that is why they are getting rid of them? I've had broodies dump dud eggs to the floor and I can only assume it was because she knew that there was nothing inside.

Just don't leave too many eggs in the nest boxes for too long, I've had hens go broody that way! Good luck.

 

[so lucky]

You may find wooden eggs at a place like Hobby Lobby.

 

[Magic Birdie]

Some people use wooden "eggs"

Not golf balls, but still...

 

[chickenbythesea]

I'm heading into town this afternoon, think I will look for the wooden eggs or go to the dollar store and get plastic one. While they're not smart enough to lay in the boxes, they are apparently smart enough to know that the golf balls aren't eggs.