First eggs this weekend and couple questions

[Just4u2c]

Hello,
First off I just joined today but have been reading for months now.. my Intro with a couple questions is here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/698652/intro-and-some-questions

WAY surprisingly I got my first eggs yesterday morning. They are only 20 weeks and it has been near 100 lately.. I heard they slow down laying when it is really hot out..

As you see we didn't even have any thing in their to lay on. (the horses lifted the nesting box lid and ate the hay) so I put more hay in yesterday after finding the eggs..
This morning all I found was poop in there though.. Once they start is it something I should expect everyday? do they not like hay in there?? If I lock them in their coop area for a couple days and they lay in the nesting boxes will they continue to lay in there all the time??
Should I just not worry about it for a while..
Thanks for any help..

 

[Den in Penn]

Welcome and congratulations.
If the horse is eating the hay how would they know if they like the hay to lay in? Get something to keep the hungry horse out of the nesting material. You can try use in other material in the nests like wood shavings or straw. Your right to think that locking them in the coop for few days will help train them to lay in the nests. Chickens are birds of habit, so once they start to lay in the nest they should continue. Unless they get disturbed by the horse.

 

[Just4u2c]

the horse doesn't roam in there area often.. We happen to let them out to mow the little bit of grass in the area. I will have the nesting boxes secure before the grass needs to be mowed again...

 

[Den in Penn]

A lot of chickens roam the horse pastures. Or is it the horses roam the chicken's pasture?