When to place fake eggs????

[Nuggetsowner:)]

My girls are 17 weeks old and I am getting VERY anxious for eggs! Two of them have gone through some changes over the last two weeks or so that make me believe that eggs will be arriving any moment! Their combs are now much larger and darker red and they have begun squatting in the yard every so often. The nesting boxes have been sat in there are feathers and evidence of that. BUT NO EGGS!! So here is my question... Do I place fake eggs in the nesting boxes to encourage the girls to begin laying? Or is that some thing that you do only if your chikens are not using the nesting boxes. I think I am have given the girls all the necessary things and it seems as if at least some of them may be ready some of my other girls don't even seem to have any comb yet. AGHHHH!! I am just not a patient person! I can't wait! What is happening? What abut the egg thing would fake eggs help get them started?

 

[aran]

put em in now!!!!!!!!!! i put them in last night and this morning ..first egg...my girls will be 18 weeks tomorrow.

 

[Nuggetsowner:)]

OH MY GOSH!!! I am goin to the coop right now! Thanks!

 

[usalbrechts]

I am JEALOUS !!!! My girls are 19 weeks tomorrow and NO EGGS!! I give them their pep talk every morning about how today would be a great day for eggs and...... nothing!! I try to wait paitently!!!

 

[aran]

its funny...i just thought last evening, i am not doing much so i may as well go and prepare the nesting boxes just in case they started some time soon, well this morning there was egg number one right in the nesting box...the hen had pushed the golf ball out and had laid the egg right where it had been. I dont know if its coincidence or not, their combs have been getting redder and the roos have been trying to mount some of the hens including the one who laid the egg so maybe the golf ball was just a lucky coincidence...still what have you got to lose by putting one in the nesting box?

 

[Nuggetsowner:)]

I have been talking to all my girls for the last couple of weeks. Like I said I am not a patient person! LOL Nugget (my roo) has been trying to get friendly with some of the girls lately too. So I know that the time is coming for some of them. Others I am not quite so sure about. It is hard though when you have that little chat every day about how much you would like to be rewarded for all the love and attention you give them with just one small little egg. Just one little egg to show that they are hearing you and that they really do care! But will they help me out NO! Not yet anyway! HUH?

 

[cheeptrick]

My EE's have been pushing the golf balls out of their nests too...but NO eggs yet.
Every morning for the last week I've had to put the golf balls back in the nest.