Did the new curtains make her lay outside of the nest box, or...?

[jwebs94]

Two days ago I got two eggs. Both shell-less. It was our first eggs, it's been stinking hot... I am not concerned about it, just setting a time line Both were laid near the roost bars. Yesterday I got my first egg!! From an almost-20 week old Easter Egger! (They turn 20 weeks today). It had a perfect shell and was deposited perfectly in the nest box.
Last night my mom had finished making curtains for me for the nest boxes. I liked the reasoning behind curtains for nest boxes as presented by the "Chicken Chick". Well anyway... I totally measured wrong and didn't even bother to remeasure when my mom said, "Are you sure it's only 10 inches long?" LMAO More like 16. So... they look kinda silly, are 6 inches short, however, I figured perhaps this was a good thing. They can still clearly see the nest box is there and they can get used to going into the nest boxes thru the strips of material and when they seem used to it, I'll have my mom remake ones of proper length.
So anyway.... this morning... two eggs. By the roost again, NOT in the nest box. 1 still shell-less, and my lady who laid yesterday laid the other one again today, but this time, like I said, not in the nest box, the shell was a little thinner and it was broken on the ground.
So, Did I freak them out by hanging the curtains before they even had a chance to fully understand what the nest boxes are for? Or do you think they are still just getting used to the whole egg laying thing? Thoughts?

 

[Acre4Me]

I added *bright* curtains (fabric I needed to get rid of) for the nest box. Nearly all eggs laid in there so far. They have nesting pads and 2 fake eggs. Here are my curtains (they are screwed to the nest box and the side panel ties are also screwed to the side, but the middle panel just hangs there).

 

[LittleMissCountry]

If they were soft or thinner shelled, and were laid near the roosting bars, maybe they laid them while roosting/sleeping?
Two of mine are fairly new layers, and any soft shell are laid near the roosting bars, like they did it accidentally or while they were sleeping. So far, the nice eggs have been laid in the nesting box.
I got a soft shell this morning, when I cleaned the coop at 6 a.m. so I know it was laid in her sleep. Mine usually lay between 8 and 10 a.m.

 

[aart]

So, Did I freak them out by hanging the curtains before they even had a chance to fully understand what the nest boxes are for? Or do you think they are still just getting used to the whole egg laying thing? Thoughts?

Both.
Chickens don't like change, so the new addition will throw them off for a day or three.

 

[snow5164]

It could be a combination of both young age a and new curtains, I’d tie them open and put ceramic eggs in each box . Show them what’s supposed to be done in there...

They’ll get it , I’d make the curtains longer too they do like a quiet dark space to lay ....