When to remove fake eggs from nest boxes

[LaFleche]

Hens don't become emotionally attached to their eggs.

Although I do not know how attached they really are, I have three hens that very lovingly and consistently talk to their eggs while laying them and even afterwards for some time while carefully moving them around with their beaks and positioning themselves on top.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

So, how soon after a real egg is laid do you take it from the nest box? Is it upsetting to the hen to return to the nest to find her egg(s) gone?

I leave for work at 7 and get home from work at 7 at night. My eggs are collected after 7 year-round. Ideally, in below freezing temps, or temps about 90* F, you'd want to collect them a few times a day, but in moderate temps, eggs are pretty shelf stable for one to two weeks.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So, how soon after a real egg is laid do you take it from the nest box? Is it upsetting to the hen to return to the nest to find her egg(s) gone?

I take them when I see them. I'll even grab them right as the hen gets out of the nest, in front of their faces, and they don't care.

What DOES upset some of my birds is if I take the fakes out - I tried it once and the next bird that headed in to lay started pacing and squawking and wouldn't get in the box. As soon as I put the golf balls back in, she headed right into the box and sat down to lay.

 

[Mark Whatley]

That’s interesting. I removed the fakes as soon as I saw that a hen had formed a nest. She laid her first egg the next day. The other 3 have shown only passing interest in the nest boxes, so maybe I should return the fakes to the other boxes.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Mine have been laying for about a month. I took out the fake eggs. One of the new layers that has been consistently laying an egg in the nest box every single day, suddenly seemed confused and didn’t know what to do and laid her egg on the middle of the coop floor! I put the fake eggs back in.

 

[LaFleche]

Mine have been laying for about a month. I took out the fake eggs. One of the new layers that has been consistently laying an egg in the nest box every single day, suddenly seemed confused and didn’t know what to do and laid her egg on the middle of the coop floor! I put the fake eggs back in.

Never change a running system

 

[3KillerBs]

That’s interesting. I removed the fakes as soon as I saw that a hen had formed a nest. She laid her first egg the next day. The other 3 have shown only passing interest in the nest boxes, so maybe I should return the fakes to the other boxes.

Keeping some sort of fake egg in the box reassures that chickens that the box is a good place to lay eggs.