When did you have your nest boxes ready for " practice "?

[vjbakke]

I have some gold sex links and I know they mature early, what age should I have the next boxes open for them to start " practing" laying eggs. They are 12 wks old now. They should be laying at 16 wks plus?

 

[chi-rn]

I have Golden Comets too! (Eastern NC). Provide nesting box by 13 weeks with nesting box. Put in some ceramic eggs... want the girls to learn not to peck eggs, as well as where to lay them! I feel like if they peck at the ceramic eggs & don't get rewarded, they'll realize there's nothing in it for them if they peck at the real eggs in the box when the time comes!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I put mine out at 16 weeks originally.

Now I have all ages, so mine are "out" all the time.

 

[opalwednesday]

I love the ceramic egg idea, thanks!

I had my nest boxes in the coop from day one (the girls moved into the coop at week eight) I figured that it wouldn't hurt fr them to know ahead of time where they could nest. We are in week nineteen now and two eggs have been laid in the box

 

[vjbakke]

Thanks, I also have 2 doms that I know will probably start laying a later than the goldies. Right now we have boxes blocking the nesting boxes so they wouldn't start sleeping in them. So in about 3 weeks I'll take out the boxes and see how it goes.

 

[chickenlickin8]

I just set up my nest boxes with fresh hay and ceramic eggs this weekend. My girls will be 16 weeks on Thursday. Their combs and wattles are starting to POP!

Can't wait for my first egg!

 

[samouw]

Where do you get the ceramic eggs?

 

[Happy Chooks]

I think craft stores. I have wooden eggs and golf balls in mine. I got the wooden eggs at the farm supply store.

 

[snazzyboots]

Quote:
i have seen them on e bay as well.

 

[chickenlickin8]

I got my ceramic eggs from eggcartons.com. I bought a half dozen of the white ones. They have them in brown too.