Will they forgive me? & a question

[2DogsFarm]

I had some work done on my coop this weekend - added a window.
Since the yard is not fenced & I was not going to be home I relocated my girls to the garage for the day.

Much indignant squawking when I had to carry them from coop to garage. Repeated when I took them back to the coop - they didn't want to LEAVE the garage!!!

They were just starting to get used to being handled and now they are acting freaky if I try petting or picking them up unless they are roosting at night.
Will they get over it? Eventually?

Now for my question:
Since they are approaching 5 months I want to be ready for them to lay in the nestboxes I have ready & waiting.
Should I start putting fake eggs (golf balls) in the boxes now?

TIA for all your BYC Knowledge

 

[crtrlovr]

Yes, they'll forgive you, but they may hold a grudge for a short time

 

[Judy]

How dare you disrupt their routine and move them twice in one day???!!!!

Yes, they'll get over it. I'd give them a day, two at most. Those little pea sized brains don't have long memories, fortunately.

Yeah, golf balls when the time approaches are probably a good idea. I got my first eggs from the new flock yesterday, in the litter in a corner of the coop. They were pulling all the litter out of their nests so I should have known they would not lay there. This AM I changed the nests and put golf balls in them, and this PM there was a cute little pullet egg IN THE NEST and none in the corner of the coop. Can't ask for more than that.

 

[2DogsFarm]

Quote:
Well, I moved them Friday - so apparently my girls know how to hold a grudge

OK then, I'll give them some more time....and some golf balls in the boxes

 

[jjdward]

I put wooden eggs in my nest boxes at about 5 months just to give them plenty of time to see them and equate eggs to the nest box. I havent had an egg outside of the box except when I changed out my nest box for a better design and then it was only one or two.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Well, I moved them Friday - so apparently my girls know how to hold a grudge

OK then, I'll give them some more time....and some golf balls in the boxes

Hmm, that's actually pretty interesting to me. Guess they got pretty shook up. Believe I'd bribe them with treats. Maybe your chickens are smarter than mine.

I'm sure they will come around, really. You'll figure it out.

They are SO interesting, anyway.

Yeah, do try the golf balls, or whatever you have that looks a bit like an egg (I had some rounded egg-shaped river rocks that worked well, til they hid them from me.)

 

[2DogsFarm]

I bribe them all the time - testing out treats.
The latest is organic chard leftover from the pantry I volunteer at.
They weren't thrilled last night but I'll see if it's still there this morning. They were already roosting when I brought it to the coop, so maybe too sleepy to eat.

I also have a box of raisins I want to try since someone on here said their chickens LOFF raisins.

Interesting does not begin to describe them - I never imagined they'd have so much personality at not-even-4mos old!

I'm going to try thre $1 store for fake eggs.