• HOME
  • ABOUT ME
  • MY ETSY SHOP
  • SERVICES
  • CONTACT
  • FREE E-BOOK
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Down A Cow Trail

Hand Sown & Homegrown

  • COWS ‘N CRITTERS
  • CHICKENS & DUCKS
  • GARDEN
  • HOMEGROWN KITCHEN
  • DIY PROJECTS
CHICKENS & DUCKS, DOWN A COW TRAIL

3 Reasons Why You Need Ceramic Eggs in Your Coop

January 24, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn an affiliate commission if you click on a link and purchase an item at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Ceramic eggs aren’t just for decorating, they are also useful in the chicken coop! This is my first year of using ceramic eggs. So far I love it and won’t ever go without them!

Here are several reasons why I leave a few fake eggs in my nesting boxes. 

(Before I go on, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!) 

Encourage Laying in the Nesting Boxes

Before my new pullets began laying this summer I decided to order some ceramic eggs. I didn’t want to deal with eggs being laid in odd places or just under their roost. I ordered these eggs and they worked! They’re super cheap – I paid around $5 for this set.  

I just left the ceramic eggs in the nesting boxes and slowly but surely my pullets got the idea. Eggs only in the nesting boxes! 

I wrote ‘fake’ on the eggs so I accidentally didn’t collect them. They definitely have a different feel and weight to them, but my Mom collected them once because she wasn’t sure (telling on you, Mom!) I’m pretty sure my hens can’t read…so I didn’t mind marking them.

No More Egg Eaters!

Fake Ceramic Eggs

Ugh. This is one of those things that just makes me so frustrated. Reaching into the nesting box and right into gooey leftovers from somebody’s snack. I didn’t have a consistent ‘egg-eater’, but every now and then somebody would get a hankering for some egg. Maybe one wasn’t formed right and would get cracked (I’d like to think this was the scenario but deep down I know it’s probably not the case.)

Be sure to grab my free First-Aid for Livestock Checklist!

After cleaning off my hand I had to try and figure out who the feathered culprit was. Did I separate each chicken one-by-one or try to catch them in the act? Really now. Rarely have I ever caught one actually eating the egg. But when I do I have to ask if they were actually the ‘egg-eater’ or did they just come upon it and couldn’t help themselves?

I decided ceramic eggs might solve two problems for me. I wish I had a camera in the coop to see that bird’s first reaction when they pecked one of the ceramic eggs. Ouch! So far we have no broken beaks! 

Ceramic Eggs

I’m so happy to report that the ceramic eggs worked! I haven’t had any eggs eaten since putting them in the nesting boxes! Can I get a hallelujah?!

Encourage Broody Hens

Lastly, this may or may not be something you want to encourage. I have one particular Barred Rock hen who looooves to go broody. Her name is ‘Daisy’, although when she’s broody she gets nicknamed ‘McNasty.’ Lucky for me she doesn’t care if they’re ceramic eggs or real eggs. She just wants to snuggle some eggs. I’m actually wanting her to go broody this spring to hatch some for me.

Last spring I tried my hand at incubating eggs. We borrowed an incubator from my mother-in-law and it was a really fun experience. My two year old daughter loved watching the little chicks hatch. The incubator that I used was older so I had to hand-turn the eggs several times a day, and keeping the humidity and temp right was a challenge. We did hatch some chicks though and I have so much more respect for Momma hens!

I decided earlier this year, with a new baby, that I’d let the hens do the work. They are, after all, way more efficient at this thing…but as we get closer to spring I got the itch for more chicks and decided to buy a new incubator. I’m so excited!!

So now go get yourself some ceramic eggs and train your girls! It really helped my flock! 

Until my next post…about my new incubator…hah! Happy trails!

Tiffany

Share
Tweet
Pin
WhatsApp
Email

Related

13 Comments

« My Favorite Heirloom Vegetable Seeds
Caring for Ducks in Winter »

RELATED POSTS

  • Best breeds for beautiful colorful eggsBest Breeds for Beautiful Colorful Eggs
  • High-Quality Organic Food & Homestead Supplies
  • Keep your hens laying through winterKeep Your Hens Laying Through Winter
  • Grow Heirloom GarlicGrow Heirloom Garlic

Comments

  1. Roxy says

    May 21, 2020 at 9:59 am

    This is extremely dangerous if you have snakes that visit the coop, if they eat one it will kill them, they will starve to death, and in a snake this can take up to six months, even if you’re not a fan of our super helpful snake friends, causing a long stuffering starvation death to any animal is inhumane.

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      May 21, 2020 at 2:09 pm

      Oh my! Growing up, or even now, I’ve never had a snake get eggs or even get into our coops, so that is pretty foreign to me! If snakes are a problem in your coop, then yes you definitely need to take that into consideration:)

      Reply
  2. Rachel Strong says

    June 22, 2020 at 11:41 am

    Did you wait until your hens started laying before putting them in there or did you put them in the nesting boxes when the younger hens reached laying age? I definitely want to try these because I have heard great things. Mine are almost 16 weeks old.

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      August 8, 2020 at 10:08 pm

      Hi Rachel! You can put them in anytime. I have had them in with older hens and younger pullets. It definitely helps at all ages!

      Reply
  3. Lucy says

    June 23, 2020 at 9:44 am

    I have 13 week old chicks. When should I put the ceramic eggs in the nesting boxes? Is it possible to do it too early? How many eggs per box?

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      August 8, 2020 at 10:10 pm

      Hi Lucy, You can put them in any time. They’ll get the idea when they see the ceramic eggs and should lay where they are supposed to!

      Reply
  4. Pat says

    October 19, 2020 at 11:17 am

    Once your chicks are laying, do you take them out? I did and my chicks have no problem knowing where to put their eggs….I only have 5 laying…..but they are all there…

    Reply
  5. Jon Brousseau says

    April 5, 2021 at 7:21 am

    I have 3 year old chickens and will be introducing them to a new coop. I used the ceramic eggs when they were pullets. Should I use them again with the new coop?

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      November 7, 2021 at 11:18 am

      Jon,

      I always keep two ceramic eggs in the boxes. It is helpful for training the hens to lay in the boxes, but also to deter egg-eating. That is a habit you definitely don’t want to start! I write ‘fake’ on the ceramic eggs so I know which ones are which.

      Reply
  6. Ramona says

    November 7, 2021 at 10:15 am

    I put a couple of fake eggs in nest boxes because I had a chicken laying on the floor. But now I can’t tell which is real and which is fake. Can you help?

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      November 7, 2021 at 11:23 am

      Oh no! They make them so realistic! You could try to crack them. The ceramic eggs do have a different feel and a different texture on the outside. I do think they feel lighter than actual eggs, and if you shake them (gently) you won’t feel the yolk move. After you figure out which are which, write ‘fake’ with a sharpie on them! Hope that helps!:)

      Reply
  7. Diana Young says

    February 7, 2022 at 11:11 pm

    My chickens started eating their eggs, they went crazy for them. I had one broody lady sit on hers so the others wouldn’t eat them. So I finally put golf balls down, while I bought ceramic one eggs. That did it. The moment I set the golf all down they wanted to chow down. Savages, haha. Well now I’m back to my 6 to 8 eggs a day. I gave them mealworms, and I think that was the start of the savagery against eating their eggs. They also started fighting because of the mealworms. I grew up with chickens, but I don’t ever remember them eating the eggs back then.

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      February 11, 2022 at 9:26 pm

      Oh no! Glad it worked! It can be so frustrating when you get an egg eater, but I’m so thankful the fake eggs deter them!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Windmill
If you travel down a cow trail in the Nebraska Sandhills, you might find me, Tiffany. Wife to a 5th generation rancher, & mommy to the 6th generation. We raise registered Black Angus cattle, along with my little herd of Jersey cows. Originally a PNW native, I married a rancher and moved to the Nebraska prairie...Read more...
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

JOIN THE LIST

One of the best sources for organic, non-GMO products for your kitchen, home, livestock, and gardens. From wholesome bulk food to organic chicken feed, you will supply your homestead with healthful and safe products. #downacowtrail #azurestandard #bulkfood #chickenfeed
Uncle Jim's Worm Farm

CATEGORIES

  • CHICKENS & DUCKS
  • COWS & CRITTERS
  • DIY MAKEOVERS
  • DIY NEW CONSTRUCTION
  • DIY PROJECTS
  • DOWN A COW TRAIL
  • GARDEN
  • HOMEGROWN KITCHEN
  • HOMESTEADING
  • JERSEY COWS
  • RECIPES
  • SOIL HEALTH
  • THE FLOWER GARDEN
  • THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

ARCHIVES

  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • October 2017
  • September 2017

POPULAR POSTS

3 Reasons Why You Need Ceramic Eggs in Your Coop

Molly

Simple Daily Milking Routine For the Home Dairy

Your Guide to Buying a Family Milk Cow

Molly…always with her nose in the food. My kinda Molly…always with her nose in the food. My kinda girl😂 Had our first snow that was more than just a dusting today. So thankful!

I’ve been so busy lately. My garden basket hit bestseller on Etsy🙏🏻🙌🏻 so my shop has been quite busy. I’m so thankful and it keeps me hopping!
Collected ingredients for supper tonight from the Collected ingredients for supper tonight from the veg garden😋 I used the small garden basket I made for our daughter. These ones are great for collecting produce and eggs! 

Garden baskets are back in stock on my Etsy site in multiple sizes!
Late summer (and drought 🥴) garden views! We ha Late summer (and drought 🥴) garden views! We had rain yesterday and it felt so good! Thankful for every drop 🙏🏻
Life has been busy to say the least! Thankful for Life has been busy to say the least! Thankful for a business I can run at home and for a milk cow who keeps us and our extended family well stocked! 

My grandparents grew up during the Great Depression. I’ll always remember how my grandma (who grew up in Charlo, MT) said they didn’t suffer because they had a milk cow. My grandpa grew up in Butte, MT and he suffered from rickets as a child due to malnutrition during the depression. I’ll always have a milk cow! 

We are getting quite a few fall calves now and sure enjoying the cool mornings!
Garden baskets are back in stock! And now customiz Garden baskets are back in stock! And now customizable with a laser engraved name! 

I’ve made a limited amount of baskets and plan to restock again in a couple weeks. You can find them with the personalization option in my Etsy shop💛

 #downacowtrail #handsownhomegrown #gardener #gardenersworld #gardengift #gardenbasket #gardentools #gardeningtools #inthegarden #gardening #goodliferanchwife #gardeninglife #gardeninglove #homesteading #rurallife #ranchwife #ranchlife #agwomen #womeninag #artistsoninstagram #fineart #womensupportingwomen #womeninbiz #gardenlife #gardengals #womenownedbusiness #ruralliving #nebraska #nebraskalife
Molly has made the transition to OAD (once a day) Molly has made the transition to OAD (once a day) milking. I love it when my cows get to this point in their lactations😅 The cow’s milk supply is stable and the calf nurses enough so that we can find this lovely balance. 

I still keep Molly locked off of fresh grass at night feeding her cake and alfalfa. This keeps the rumen working and makes the milk sweeter and creamier. Her calf is locked in with her at night, for now. 

Penny (the heifer on the left) stays out on grass all night.

#downacowtrail #handsownhomegrown #goodliferanchwife #jerseycow #familycow #milkcow #rawmilk #a2a2milk #dairycows #dairycowsofinstagram #heifercalf #heifers  #jerseyheifer #jerseycows #thegoodlife #ranchwife #ranchlife #homesteadlife #rurallife #ruralliving #homesteadersofinstagram #homesteadersofamerica #homesteading #jerseyscowsofinstagram #ranching #cowsofinstagram #ranchlife #livingthecountrylife #countrylifestyle #ranchher #womeninag
Canned this year’s first batch of peaches this w Canned this year’s first batch of peaches this week. So delicious!! I grew up helping my mom can, and peaches was one of my favorite things to help with 😋 

45 peaches to a dozen quarts for reference. 

Pro tips: To get beautiful canned peaches (that aren’t mushy), can the peaches when they are just starting to get soft to the touch. 

When removing skins in hot water, watch them closely and remove them from the water as soon as the skin is ready to peel. If you leave then in too long the peaches will start to cook and they won’t can up as pretty😍
For a few years now I’ve been focusing on adding For a few years now I’ve been focusing on adding more perennials to our landscape. One of the reasons why…I love Hydrangeas😍 This Incrediball hydrangea is still young, but it’s blooms are so big and beautiful, and they last a long time! 

Perennials are so good for giving structure and beauty to a landscape. It’s been a dry year, and these babies love moisture, so making sure they have enough water has been a priority. 💦
Mr. Toad - a welcome guest in my garden any day 🐸 One of our kiddos’ favorite critters to catch. Did you know toads squeak? Swipe to hear what they sound like 😅
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.

  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • COOKIE POLICY
  • ABOUT ME

COPYRIGHT 2020 Down A Cow Trail

THEME BY ECLAIR DESIGNS
Our site uses cookies. By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy. Find out more.