Teaching them to lay eggs in the nestbox?

[doghamstyluv95]

Well our chickens are now 17 weeks old and we just put the nest boxes in the coop. How do we teach them to actually lay eggs in there? We put a few fake eggs in the nests but they seem kinda scared of them and not willing to go into the nest boxes. Any ideas? Oh and by they way, Apple is doing a lot better now

 

[HobbyChickener]

They will get used to the "fake Eggs" I used golf balls for my eggs that are still in there and they have been laying for about 2 weeks. HOWEVER, the first egg that I found was not in the nest box. I marked it with a sharpie and moved it to the nest box and left it there. 2 days later I had another egg in the nest box, and I marked it and left it there too. I started taking eggs when I got the third egg and when I reached a half dozen I removed all the eggs (pitched the marked ones). To this day we have been getting 2 or 3 a day and (knock on wood) they have all been in the nest box. GoodLuck!

 

[Davaroo]

Follow HobbyChickeners advice. It's good.

 

[josee5]

I found some very real looking eggs at Hobby Lobby. They even have weight to them. I'm having better luck with my hens laying in the same place since using the fake eggs. Before they kept moving their nest.

 

[GoodEgg]

I saw those eggs at Hobby Lobby and wondered if they would be good for that. I'm not sure how picky pullets are, but those were pretty convincing.

trish

 

[Newchickenmom&kids]

Quote:
Luckily I never had problems with this....but this is a great approach that I will file away for future reference!! Mine have always laid in their nests except for the 3rd or 4th egg was on the ground...guess it was just an oopsie 'cause it hasn't happened again and it's been weeks!!

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
I bought the fake ceramic eggs from Hobby Lobby that look and feel real also. They seem to be working so far for 1 SLW and all 6 RIR. They will hop up in the nest box, and roll the fake egg up under them and sit on it before they lay their egg.

My daughter likes to fake out her friends with them. They even fake me out sometimes, so I put an x on them.

Maybe I should put some colored plastic easter eggs in the nest now so my Araucana/Ameraucana will lay for me.

 

[Davaroo]

Golf balls work, as well, since hens arent too fussy. Unless I miss my guess, though, youre supposed to remove the faux eggs once the hen is laying in the nest.

 

[HobbyChickener]

Mine are still laying and the gold balls are still there. I have noticed that they will "gather" the golf balls and lay the eggs with them.

 

[MissChessy]

A friend of mine told me her grandfather used old lightbulbs and hid them in the hay with the white part showing. She said he was very successful and had hens laying eggs all the time. I'd be afraid the lightbulbs would break and harm the hens though.