When to use a nest egg.

[myminicooper]

My 6 girls are about 10 weeks right now, and I'm wondering when I should put the fake eggs in the nesting box. If I put them in now will it be too early and cause confusion later?

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, I'd wait until they are 16 - 18 weeks old before I put any "lure" eggs in their nest boxes. If you can, you might block off the nest boxes until then, so they don't get into the habit of sleeping in them. That's what some folks do.

 

[RM44]

Quote:
+1. Block off those boxes until about 18 weeks or you find an egg on the coop floor! Well, maybe open them at 16 weeks. I found an egg on the coop floor 2 days before they were 18 weeks old. That chicken has laid an egg every day since then (for about 9 weeks now) and still doesn't use the boxes. All the other chickens are laying and didn't start until I opened the boxes. All the others use the box, but my first layer still deposits hers in the same spot on the coop floor every morning! I think she's more stubborn than me!

 

[myminicooper]

would sleeping in the nest boxes prevent them from laying in there later on?

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Oh, no, that's not why you don't want them sleeping in there. They poop at night on the roost. You want the chickens to sleep on the roost bars!

If you let them sleep in the nest boxes, they would poop in the nest boxes. So eggs laid in there might get poopy!

 

[myminicooper]

gotcha! That makes sense!! I only wish they slept on the roosts now....I have yet to see any poop in the nests, so I'll cover those up to keep it that way.

 

[rosaline]

Hello,
I never closed off my boxes, My chickens sleeped in there. People on another site told me to move them and put them on the roosts, show them what to do. I never did. They instictivly went on the roosts when the weather got warmer. They never sleep in the boxes now. I woundered if they would know what the boxes where for. And 3 months later they started laying eggs in the boxes. They all go in the same box and wait for each other to finish so the other one can go in and lay an egg.

Do what you think is right, everyone has fantastic ideas and advise. You cant go wrong. Good luck x