Thinking about using dummy eggs for some of my pairs to control when they raise youngsters.
Never done it before. How do the birds react? Do they eventually catch on that the eggs never hatch?
Any downsides I should know about?
Use them all the time. Very useful management tool.
Birds don’t “catch on” - they’ll sit on fake eggs for weeks. The instinct to incubate is strong.
I use them to:
- Sync hatching dates across multiple pairs
- Rest hens between rounds
- Keep birds steady on nest during shipping periods
Make sure the fakes are similar weight and size to real eggs. Plastic or wooden ones from pigeon supply stores work best.
One tip - don’t leave them sitting on fakes for more than 20-21 days without swapping to real eggs or letting them up.
After normal incubation period, some birds start to abandon the nest or become restless. Best to time it properly.
Downside is you need to keep good records. Easy to forget which nest has fake eggs and which has real.
I mark fake eggs with a small dot of nail polish and keep a chart on the loft wall.
Very useful for timing purposes though. Would recommend.