Eggs, nest boxes, everyone off and mixed up! Help!

[PaulaJoAnne]

So, we recently integrated 18 new birds into our flock of 21 ( the 21 do not lay yet).
These 18 are all laying in way or another.
Due to transitions they are laying at very odd hours and in strange places.
Plus we are getting quite a few "shelless" ones.

I think I have run into an interesting snag. It seems like, with the constantly changing day/night hours in Alaska, that most people tend to let their birds "run amuck". Coops are a mish mash of what ever parts and pieces, and boxes may not be truly available, so laying on roosts and in all corners of the yard are a real problem.

This is not an ideal situation, but I have purchased birds that behave this way.
Locking them in at night until they lay is not working, as they just stay "asleep" untill I open up the coop.
I plan on free ranging all the chickens, but with the way things are going right now, its simply not an option.
They have to stay in the pen.

I am open to any suggestions you all may have.
Also, would it help things if I left the little light on all night? I have been leaving it off so far.

 

[Hen_House_Rocks!]

You could try setting up a lighting system on a timer in your coop and run and keep them shut in for a few weeks.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Shut in, as in, in the coop, no outside time?

 

[emilyweck]

I would assume that is what they mean by shut in. I had to do a similar thing with mine when I integrated layers in with my pullets. I had to keep them in the coop/run so they would learn to lay in the coop. It took about 5-6 days and they were trained. Good luck and congrats on your new birdies!

 

[cmom]

I did the same thing I shut mine in their coop for a week. I also put golf balls in the nest boxes.