Barred Rock refuses nesting boxes

[Rayasun]

Hi all!
My barred rock Freckle finally started laying! Only problem is she does it across the street. I have five nesting boxes for 11 girls. Everyone else takes turns using the two favorite boxes but not, these boxes are not good enough for me, Freckle.
The area across the street is overgrown and full of ivy and blackberries but I was able to snoop out her hiding spot by spying on her for a good thirty minutes. I already have the fake eggs, I had to switch to straw in the boxes because the other girls didn't like shavings. I not sure how the other ladies would feel about the dried vegetation in there boxes, so I'm leery about putting it in the coop.
Freckle has always been the odd girl. Roosting in odd places like the front gate and top of the goose pen. She even got her name because she thinks freckles are food.
Any suggestion is helpful. Thanks!

 

[sylviethecochin]

From personal experience: when a hen acts odd and alone and tries to make her own separate flock of one, even if it's her normal behaviour, she's the most likely to go broody. Of course, you could just have a "special" hen.

The only way I know of curing this tendency is locking her in the henhouse/run for at least a week until she gets used to laying in the boxes.

 

[Rayasun]

From personal experience: when a hen acts odd and alone and tries to make her own separate flock of one, even if it's her normal behaviour, she's the most likely to go broody. Of course, you could just have a "special" hen.
Thank you! I had thought of that and even locked her up with another girl that was already trying to use a nest. Freckle ended up upsetting the other hen and put my rooster in a panic. This caused the whole flock to start sending out alarm calls, that riled up the geese and in turn set the dogs off... *sigh*

 

[Rayasun]

Thank you! I had thought of that and even locked her up with another girl that was already trying to use a nest. Freckle ended up upsetting the other hen and put my rooster in a panic. This caused the whole flock to start sending out alarm calls, that riled up the geese and in turn set the dogs off... *sigh*------sorry for the double post something went wonky with my other one.

 

[Chickassan]

Maybe give her one leafy nest in the coop. I don't know how your nests are set up but if there is a way enclose the leafy nest a little bit make it actually more like a box and see if that makes Freckles happy.

 

[aart]

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.