16 week old pullets investigating nesting boxes?

[Sam peoples]

I have 7 16 week old pullets that I don’t think are ready to lay yet but should be in about a month or so. I’ve gone down to the chicken coop multiple times and I’ve found them sitting in the nesting boxes or scratching the straw out. I did some quick research and found out that this could mean they are going to be laying soon. Could this be possible? I’ll attach some images of all 7 of them. Let me know what you think. And if they aren’t anywhere close to laying why are they so curious about the nesting boxes?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They do look to be maturing. You probably have another month or two before you get eggs. Is the one a welsummer or brown leghorn? Pullets will explore the nests. That's normal.

 

[aart]

Usually messing in the nests is the last and most significant sign that eggs are imminent.
Have the nests been open for quite some time or just recently?

Might be time for a butt check:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[Sam peoples]

They do look to be maturing. You probably have another month or two before you get eggs. Is the one a welsummer or brown leghorn? Pullets will explore the nests. That's normal.

There are 2 brown leghorns and the first one you probably noticed has been reddening up and her combs/waddles have been growing. That’s what I was assuming, a month or 2. Thank you for your help

 

[Sam peoples]

Usually messing in the nests is the last and most significant sign that eggs are imminent.
Have the nests been open for quite some time or just recently?

Might be time for a butt check:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Yes, the nests have been open. The 7 of them are in the same coop with some older hens that are laying so the nesting boxes are in use. Ive seen that butt check and I’ll have to try it on the brown leghorn in particular. I thought for sure she laid her first egg about a week ago, I walked into coop and found an egg (or what was left of one) in one of the nesting boxes. It was just the membrane and it had been broken, I heard that pullets first eggs will be messed up, so I thought for sure it was the brown leghorn but I haven’t found any eggs sense then.