Getting a hen to use a laying box

[winekntrychicks]

That does add clarity to your situation. From the description you give about approaching her in her remote nest it seems as if she is afraid of you or maybe you wear something she doesn't like. I have experienced that with my roo he does not like dark colors or big coats. She is giving mixed signals to brood or not to brood, that is the question. I read on these message boards that if pullet nests were you don't want them to; put ice cubes in those nests or something else that she won't like to discourage her from nesting there. This might "trick" her into the nice box that you have provided her. There is a person named "sammi" on these pages. From what I understand this person is a chickenpro. Here is a link to his own website:
http://happyhenhouse.proboards43.com/ as I mentioned in a previous post to you for some reason she feels safe in her remote nest. Study her remote nest to see if you can reason why? Then duplicate that in your box, while you make her remote nest less appealing

 

[winekntrychicks]

I forgot to add this: it sounds like she wants to hatch these eggs, just not in your box. When you put her in your box and locked her in there it stressed her out so didn't want to sit. I have read post about people moving and their chicken stop laying for a time. They get stressed out.

 

[cyrixlord]

i put wooden eggs in the box before they even began laying. worked like a charm, I even kept them in there to this day. They will even go back during the day of free ranging to lay eggs in there.

I have feed and water in their coops as well

my other chicken doesn't liek to put shells on her eggs for some reason but this is only her 3rd egg..