wooden eggs ?

[ryansmommy83]

Ok so only 2 out of 6 hens are laying so i decided to put in some wooden eggs i put one in each of the 6 nest areas, I cleaned there coop out two days ago and i havent recieved 1 egg since. I had put golf balls in the nest about a month after I got the hens and two days later I started getting 1 a day but since i cleaned out the coop not a 1 ! Anyone have any other advise ? Also I gave them some oats and the get " greens" every day also and are on a crumble scratch mixture that all has over 17% protien. help me please Im ready to make some fried chicken !

 

[Jolly Acres]

Possibly to many nesting boxes?
I would only have one or two nesting boxes for 6 hens.
Just a suggestion.

 

[tim_TX]

Were the birds in the coop when you cleaned it? Cleaning the coop is stressful, both physically and otherwise. Physically, it can create so much dust that it causes severe respiratory problems. Did you rearrange the perches or anything like that? They truly dislike change of any sort.

I always make sure they are out, and I wear a dust mask. I then put everything back like it was. When the birds come back in they have a heyday scratching through the new chips.

 

[ryansmommy83]

They were still in the coop I didnt want to let them out because i dont feel comfortable with them being free rage just yet because have so many loose dogs coyotes and alot ao hawks and owls I dont want one of my ladies to wonder off and become someone elses dinner I only cleaned the coop out because my son decided to spray it down with the hose and i didnt want the hay to mold. darn pickey chickens !but do the wodden eggs really stimulate them ?

 

[ryansmommy83]

 

[magsrags]

Hi,

You left right them in the coop while you hosed/cleaned it out?

That might explain a little bit about their stress.

)

Maybe you can try to place them someplace else when cleaning out the coop. I really think that would be a solution to your problem.
Best of luck!

 

[erijn5]

My hens had also quit laying, so I invested in some of the wooden eggs. It took about a wk or so and then they were on it. They all lay with the eggs now! I even have a broody hen that is trying to hatch one....Crazy Chicken!!

 

[cmom]

I use golf balls in the nest boxes. Also you can have 4/5 birds per nest box. Mine seem to lay in the same nest boxes.

 

[Patchesnposies]

My girls free range and had begun to hide their eggs hither and yon and I got tired of playing hide and seek with them, so we picked up some old nesting boxes ( 3 of them with 7 boxes across in 2 rows) and I stuck some wooden eggs in them and within a week all of the girls were laying their eggs in the boxes.

I also have silly hens that try to hatch the wooden eggs.