What's the best sub in the nest box?

[Lucy4]

So I've heard plastic eggs, white stones, and golf balls to put in the nest box to encourage pullets to lay in the correct place. Which has been most successful for you?

 

[FalcoSparverius]

We used 3 small plastic easter eggs. They worked really well. Only one egg wasn't layed in the boxes.
Some people say that golf balls work well, though. Your preference.

Ask not why the chicken crossed the road, but why the road got in the way of the chicken.

 

[sandy sea]

I just left a real egg in my new nest box, and it worked.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I didn't use anything figuring the hens are going to know what to do on their own.

Maybe I have smart girls, as they started laying at 20 wks and three weeks later I'm getting 8 eggs daily in one of 5 nest boxes.

 

[princess araucana]

I use golf ball. A year later if I switch which of the two boxes it is in, they will still lay in which ever one has the ball!

 

[Lucy4]

Yeah, well... my girls are cute but they're not smart.

Hence the question. I don't want them to lay in the bush anymore.

Thanks for the suggestions! I will go out tomorrow, and buy either golf balls or plastic easter eggs (whichever I find first.) I'll try a real egg tonight in the meantime. Though I have a feeling this will take time, longer than a grocery egg stays fresh.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

bygones75 -

Maybe they don't like the current nest boxes. Try putting a covered cat litter box with shavings for them to lay in.

I have two litter boxes and plastic tub I had on hand in addition to banty brooder turned on its side that all get used daily.

 

[cmom]

I use golf balls.

 

[OCChicken]

I

 

[OCChicken]

I only have 1 of my 5 hens laying, a not quite 17 week BR. After she layed the first egg I put a couple golf balls in the laying box to encourage her some more, well it only encouraged our Red Sexlink to lay on it so I removed them as I was worried it would make the Sexlink broody. Our BR has since layed 4 eggs in 4 days, all in the laying box without a sub.