My flock is new to us, but all around a year old. (Red Stars and Silkie Bantams) They are adjusting to their new coop and while they're figuring out where to sleep, I've been blocking off the nest boxes after sunset so they'll learn to sleep on the roosts, but this has created a bit of a problem because the girls are evening layers. So far in the evening that it's completely dark when they lay, and it's often after I've done my last check of the night and blocked off the nest boxes, so they lay eggs on the sand floor and as a result, they freeze solid and crack. Is this just because they're new to the coop and still a little freaked out? Will they adjust by themselves and start laying at normal hours? And is there anything I can do to encourage daytime laying??
