Chicken stopped laying in nest box.

[Virus]

I have only four hens at the moment three of which have begun laying. My two RIRs are laying in one spot inside the area they sleep which is fine but my barred rock has started laying on the ground in the run area attached to their coop. Why she started to do this I don't know because she had laid her first few in the nest box. I believe it was my barred rock because my RIRs lay dark brown eggs and this one was pale tan with brushes of brown. The egg is also too big to have been laid by my bantam. If you can help its appreciated. One more thing when do Ameracana bantams usually start to lay. Thanks!

 

[maggimay43]

my hens did this when they first started laying. i would just move the egg from where they laid it into the nest box where i want them. also if you see her looking for a place to lay, pick her up and put her in the nest. it took a week or so but they get the hang of it.
we just built a new coop to give them more space and when we moved them in they stopped laying for a week. when they started up again they seem to put the eggs anywhere but in the nest boxes. i have hunted up 3 different nests in bushes in the last month.

 

[Virus]

I have heard that just putting their eggs in the spot you want them to lay works, could I also put store bought eggs in the nest box or would that not work?

 

[Mike26726]

I placed some golf balls in my nesting box. I hope this helps them decide to lay in there