Golf ball in the nesting box

[chickengalcal]

Our 18 week old EE laid her first egg just shy of 18 weeks on Saturday, in the coop where they sleep. The nesting box was blocked off, wasn't expecting them to start laying yet.
Anyhow I opened it and put a golf ball in there. Monday afternoon she laid in the nesting box wahoo!

This morning (Thursday) was another egg in the nesting box, so tiny this time.

I just went out to check on the girls and the EE is laying in box, I'm wondering if she is going broody, the golf ball is still there. I wasn't sure if I should leave it for the other hens to figure out this is where they lay when the times comes or remove it.

Should I remove the golf ball?
Is she going broody on a ball?
It's not possible she laying another egg already, or I don't think so at least.

 

[Judy]

They can go broody on golf balls, eggs, or nothing but an empty nest. But they rarely go broody when they first start laying. They will do some odd things for a month or so, until they get accustomed to the idea of laying an egg every day.

 

[sweetbeak]

My EE would sit on the nest for hours when she first started laying, it happens for a few months until they get into the rhythm. I always have a golf ball in several of my boxes and they always lay where the balls are.

 

[ramz8435]

I have two laying hens I got off a buddy moved them a mile down the road to my house it took two days for the first to start Pauling it's now been over I week and the second still hasn't layed should I try the golf ball idea for it

 

[Beer can]

I put golf balls in their nests also as a egg eating deterrent. They laid for months in the boxes with no golf balls and just recently started laying in different corners of their coop. So I put the balls back now the eggs are in the boxes again. My brownleghorns frequently sit in the nest boxes for awhile, but they are not and do not go broody.

 

[chickengalcal]

Thank you so much for the input!
I took the golf ball out but will probably put it back in to encourage the other pullets who are not yet laying and deter them from eating their eggs.