China/Clay/Ceramic Eggs needed!

[lupinfarm]

I was wondering if any of you fine folks were interested in cermanics, and produced your own. I need to find some ceramic glazed chicken eggs to warm and use in my nestboxes. My mum had them the farm she grew up in back in England, but hasn't seen them since. They'd put them in boiling water and warm them, then stick them in the nest boxes for new layers.

If you are interested in making some for us, or know of someone, and wouldn't mind shipping to Canada, I'd greatly appreciate it!

 

[the simple life]

I bought some alabaster eggs for this same reason at a yardsale a few months ago.
Are you sure you can't find some at a thrift store or even online?

 

[lupinfarm]

I bought some alabaster eggs for this same reason at a yardsale a few months ago.
Are you sure you can't find some at a thrift store or even online?

eggcartons.com sells them, and even duck egg sizes, i went out looking today at the thrift, and at michaels because sometimes they have things like that, but nothing! and there are really no poultry supply stores here at all. it looks like we'll be ordering six of both duck and chicken ceramic eggs from eggcartons.com!

 

[TanksHill]

Wood eggs are pretty easy to find around here. g

 

[lupinfarm]

Yeah, issue is I don't live in the U S of A, I live in Canada. There are no stores that sell or stock them here, the only place I've found that ships here is eggcartons.com and I'm ordering now, downside is it will only come by UPS, meaning the customs will be huge. Oh well.

 

[TanksHill]

I would have ordered and sent them your way. Not sure how mail to you works. I have never sent anything to Canada before. That sounds kinda lame but true.

 

[patandchickens]

Berry Hill doesn't sell ceramic eggs? (Their website is WAY too slow for me on dialup or I'd actually go look )

What about just going somewhere with rounded cobble-type rocks, like a lakeshore or streambed (or even somewhere that sells ornamental gravel for gardens ) and just pick out a few that are basically egglike? That's what I use as my main 'nest egg' and it works great, and you could warm it up just fine (tho I'm not sure I understand the reason for warming it up?).

Alternatively, you could think about using Sculpey clay, from the craft supply store. It bakes into a hard fired-clay-like substance. Bake in a normal home oven (leave the kitchen window open a few inches if you're concerned about fumes). You'd want to use crumpled aluminum foil inside your 'eggs' probably, for weight and economy but also so they bake properly.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[TanksHill]

I have a question, are you just looking for something to put in the nesting boxes? I really never had to use anything. My hens just started laying in there all by themselves. In cold climates is it normal to add warm fake eggs for the hens?

 

[lupinfarm]

Berry Hill doesn't sell ceramic eggs? (Their website is WAY too slow for me on dialup or I'd actually go look )

What about just going somewhere with rounded cobble-type rocks, like a lakeshore or streambed (or even somewhere that sells ornamental gravel for gardens ) and just pick out a few that are basically egglike? That's what I use as my main 'nest egg' and it works great, and you could warm it up just fine (tho I'm not sure I understand the reason for warming it up?).

Alternatively, you could think about using Sculpey clay, from the craft supply store. It bakes into a hard fired-clay-like substance. Bake in a normal home oven (leave the kitchen window open a few inches if you're concerned about fumes). You'd want to use crumpled aluminum foil inside your 'eggs' probably, for weight and economy but also so they bake properly.

Good luck,

Pat

Haha yeah, I looked ages ago at Berry Hill, and same for me, dial-up is a pain when the only really big and nice supplier has a lovely flash website

Looks like we'll be ordering from eggcartons.com because I want the nifty little weigh scale as well, it's cute! Truth is I just can't be arsed in actually making something, I filled some plastic eggs with some food tonight as I noticed some strange behaviour out of one particular hen, at least this time they won't be able to play fake-egg-football.

 

[lupinfarm]

I have a question, are you just looking for something to put in the nesting boxes? I really never had to use anything. My hens just started laying in there all by themselves. In cold climates is it normal to add warm fake eggs for the hens?

Yessirrebob, They can also be used as infill in a clutch to hatch if you don't have any extra fertilized eggs hanging around as they're pretty much identical. I'm ordering a set of 6 brown chicken ones, and a set of 6 white duck ones from eggcartons.com as well as the adorable egg scale they have.