Ceramic Nest Eggs
Encourage Egg Laying in Nest Boxes:
Ceramic eggs, or dummy eggs, encourage hens to lay eggs. An excellent way to retrain hens that may have developed a habit of laying eggs on the ground where it’s less sanitary and harder to collect the eggs. The sight of the ceramic egg inside the nest box helps hens identify that area as a suitable location to deposit her eggs. Simply place a ceramic egg inside the desired nesting box to encourage hens to lay eggs where you have prepared a clean and cozy nest.
Test Broodiness:
By placing several ceramic eggs in a nest box you can determine if a hen is ready to set or not. If she sets on the ceramic eggs for more than 3 or 4 days you can then replace them with fertile eggs that you wish to hatch.
Discourage Chickens from Pecking/Eating Eggs:
When chickens peck at the hard ceramic egg, they may eventually lose interest once they realize there is no reward as found with a real egg.