Question re: fake egg usage?

[BGcoop]

Is there a max number of decoys (fake eggs) that's allowable, without making them go broody?

Hmmmm that’s an interesting question. I have one or two per box, and I think broodiness more depends on the breed, but I am not sure of what triggers it in those breeds that DO go broody.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is there a max number of decoys (fake eggs) that's allowable, without making them go broody?

No clue! I put 2 fakes per box, 1 seems too lonely.

 

[GC-Raptor]

The most fakes I put in a nest was 2.
I don't purchase broody breeds although it depends on which hatchery you get them.
I have 3 Barred Rocks, 23 months old, had 7 from this Flock, none ever went broody, but I don't have a Roo. Yet I've read on here that some have gone broody.
I got my Rocks from TSC, Hoover's Hatchery. GC

 

[WindingRoad]

So I wanted to ask...

As a management tool, would it work to use fake eggs to divert chickens and ducks to 'suggest' to them where to drop their real eggs?

Would they be more likely to decide to put their eggs at a specific site with fake eggs over other eggs?

What do you think about this?

I had thought they used fake eggs mostly to try to trick poultry into going broody. But today I had my first easter egg hunt and thought...maybe I won't like doing an easter egg hunt EVERY day. LOL.

I wasn't having trouble with where to lay but not to eat. Put out fake eggs and my birds wouldn't lay in that box. LOL. I have weird chickens. Or stubborn ones.BTW after a awhile that started to eat again. So I took them out.

 

[neo71665]

I just keep one golf ball in each nest box.

As for the chickens caring, mine aint so far. If I go check and there is a bird in the nest I'll normally come back in a few minutes. When I do go collect eggs they always flock around my feet watching me get the eggs.

 

[aart]

Is there a max number of decoys (fake eggs) that's allowable, without making them go broody?

Broody has more to do with hormones than anything else.
A broody hen will sit on nothing.
One or two in each nest is plenty, no need to crowd the nest.

 

[nao57]

I wasn't having trouble with where to lay but not to eat. Put out fake eggs and my birds wouldn't lay in that box. LOL. I have weird chickens. Or stubborn ones.BTW after a awhile that started to eat again. So I took them out.

Wow. Darn.

So... does that mean that out of the ones that learn to cannibalize their children JK, I mean eat their eggs, that there's always going to be a percentage of those that need to be taken out of the flock from refusal to curb 'zombie' instincts? What kind of % would you be looking at for repeat offenders after a fix was put into play?

 

[nao57]

Amazing how many things have come up on this...

And something else came up yet again!

It just so happens there's an apple tree in the backyard next to the duck coop. And it just so happens that its dropped a lot of premature small apples this year a lot. The ducks chew on them a bit, though they are too tough to really fully eat.

I wonder if this could be contributing to the 'missing eggs'?

What do you think?

(I can't cut down the tree also because its one of the few good sources of shade in the yard and quite big.)

 

[GC-Raptor]

I mean eat their eggs, that there's always going to be a percentage of those that need to be taken out

Out of 12 hens, I only had one.
She was the runt of the litter and hung out in the coop all day.
She or another laid a thin or soft shelled egg and it broke. She found it yummy.
It took about 3 weeks to find out who was breaking hard shelled eggs, about 2 weekly.
I lifted the nest box cover and caught her pecking an egg. It was Thursday. Off with her head Saturday.
It was a shame, she laid 5 a week.
But if the other 6 learned how to get into a hard shelled egg, $. I won't tolerate it, or try a mustard egg, I already had a ceramic egg in each nest. GC

 

[Cheeki]

I just raided my golf bag and put out golf balls in the nesting boxes. Left them for a week and they all got the idea.
I don't have to do that with my new layers because they want to lay where the other we r chickens lay. I'll find 4 eggs in one box some days.