A few things i'd like to clear up first..

[AngelaClassAct]

I wouldn't ecourage them to lay their eggs under the roost, the eggs will get quite dirty and gross. Like other suggested, get a bucket, milkcrate, even a cat littler box and encourage them to lay in there. I wouldn't put it directly under the roost, b/c that will get covered in poop. Their move may have them confused as to where to sleep (roost) and laying eggs. I would just give them time to adjust and finalize your set up now so that they (in theory) know what to do and where to do it. Good luck!

 

[Panthus]

Oh so they stand to lay!

Gosh im clueless. haha. Okay, i'll see how we go with my set up and if i have no action within the next three weeks i'll work on getting some nesting boxes. Not sure how i will fit them in but i'll work it out.

Someone asked if they are squatting, to be honest im not sure. I see them sitting in there nests during the day but that looks more like they are taking a snooze. As soon as i walk out there they get up and come wandering out pretending they weren't being lazy at all. I'll have to keep an eye on them and learn more about there behaviour.

I am actually surprised how quiet chickens are. I was expecting relatively loud chit chat from them all day, about as loud as a tv type thing. They do chit chat when i go out their but its so quite and pleasant like they are sharing a little secret amongst themselves and don't want me to hear. Although....i went outside yesterday thinking "who's that annoying neighbour doing renovations with the constant hammering?" Its my little guys up against the colourbond fence pecking at it over and over and over again. Now i couldn't see any bugs on it at all and i'm wondering if they were enjoying the sound of there own beaks. If so, they need to find a new musical instrument. I might them a guitar for christmas

 

[Wildflower_VA]

I raised six black Australorps from the time they were two days old. In the brooder they loved to perch and by a couple of weeks old they slept on a 2x4 roost I had in their brooder. I moved them out to their coop/run when they were seven weeks old, and they have never slept on a roost since. I have made them different kinds of roosts to see if that was the problem, but they still sleep in a puppy pile in the back corner of the coop under the roost pole. I tried many times to move them to the roost after dark, but they would just get back down. The hen who is at the top of the pecking order sleeps on the roost over top of the other five, but I am always amazed at how small of a pile five full-grown heavy breed hens make when they are snuggled up in the corner. They are now 30 weeks old and have been laying for two months.

They have never tried to sleep in the nest box, but I only introduced the nest box when they were within a couple of weeks of laying (after they were practicing the egg song and squatting). I also placed golf balls in the nest to give them a hint about where to lay their eggs. Either fake eggs or golf balls encourages them to start laying.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Quote:
Squatting is when you approach from behind them and they actually squat down to the ground and hold their wings out and away from their body. The same position they would get into for the rooster to mount them.

Quiet chickens is another sign that they are a while away from laying. My girls went from quiet a month before they started laying to so noisy I was afraid the neighbors would complain, and I am in the country on two acres. They start practicing the egg song a couple of weeks before they start laying, which is very loud and obnoxious sounding. Even when only one of six started laying, the other five would help her celebrate laying her egg. They stayed extremely loud and noisy for about the first month of laying, then quieted back down. Now they do a quieter egg song and only the one actually laying the egg.

 

[Panthus]

Oh right! I understand what you mean by squatting. No, they are definitely not doing that.

As for being quite, okay that makes sense too. So they really need to get the party started before i expect any eggs from them. Then we may have a longer wait ahead of me than i expected. No problems at all. Least i know now. :-D How good is this forum for noob's like me. You guys are so, so helpful. Thanks so much!