Object number
88/34/1-2
Collection
Creator
Description
These are two ceramic, grey-white dummy eggs which were used to encourage chickens to lay in their nest boxes. They are part of the Lucas Collection of objects and documents donated to the Museum by Mr Lucas, a farmer and dairyman from Reading, Berkshire.
Physical description
2 dummy eggs: ceramic; good condition
Label Text
Dummy eggs. These objects were used on a smallholder farm and dairy in Reading until 1971. Dummy eggs are still used today and are placed in nest boxes to show new chickens where to lay their eggs. Some swear that golf balls do the job just as well! Dummy eggs can also help limit the number of eggs a bird will lay. Hens will instinctively lay a set number of eggs, but they will sometimes break, forcing the hen to lay a new one. This can lead to calcium deficiency if the hen lays too many times. Replacing a broken egg with a dummy will prevent a hen from laying again.
Archival history
MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: EGG // Accession number: 88/34/1&2 // Classification: LIVESTOCK Poultry // Negative number: 60/15462 // Acquisition method: GIFT // Acquired from, date: H. B. LUCAS, [...], 10 June 1988 // Store: small object // Condition: good // Recorder, date: JMB 3.3.89 // Description: Two ceramic dummy eggs greyish white in colour. // Dimensions: Length: 6.0cm Width 4.0cm // Associated information: Used to encourage chickens to lay in the nest boxes provided. // References:', MERL Miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 19 February 2014 – The Lucas Collection contains objects (88/23–88/43) and documents (D90/8/1–21) donated by Mr H. B. Lucas, a farmer and dairyman. Mr Lucas kept chickens, cows and pigs on his smallholding in Whitley Wood Road, Reading, and retired in 1971. The Lucas family farmed in a small way at Lane End Farm in Shinfield, Reading, from the end of the nineteenth century. Mr Lucas’ grandfather built Lane End House, and brought threshing machines to Berkshire, and his uncle was a threshing tackle contractor with premises opposite the farm. The objects in the Collection were used by Mr Lucas on his smallholding and in conjunction with his dairy business. The documents (now in the MERL Archives) consist of show catalogues for poultry and fancier's associations, prize certificates for eggs and poultry, record cards for egg production and newspaper cuttings about shows.
Object name
Material
Associated subject
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_15462.tif - High resolution image
