Well, I am not an expert, but I do know, by experience, that the first few eggs will be smaller. Did they just start laying? And, YES, I have had the 'not using the nest box' problem also. I solved this problem by setting some corn in them around the time the chickens should start laying, and made sure they had plenty of soft grass/hay. Chickens prefer a dark, dry place for egg-laying. Hope this helps!
The eggs are usually smaller to begin with, as they become used to laying their hips spread wider and they can lay larger eggs. As for the nest boxes, most people use fake eggs, glass, wood or plastic ones. I used a couple of golf balls. Just leave them in the nest boxes and the girls will eventually figure out that the boxes are great places to lay. When they are hitting the mark, remove the fake eggs and away they go.
The first few eggs are often a little smaller than their "full-grown" egg size. However, I have a Dominique that always lays tiny eggs, not at all close to her breed's norm. Lol. She's small for her breed, too. I think it's just her ... If they are going to get bigger, it should happen within a month or two. For laying outside the nest, I can suggest 3 things that worked for me. 1). I added a couple extra nest boxes in other locations (complete with straw inside), including one outside in the run. I had one gal that was low in the pecking order, when she would try to get to the nest boxes, the big bossy top hen would take the first one by the ramp, and peck at her if she tried to get by. This helped, you just have to remember to check them. 2). I had one new layer that was sort of freaked out by the whole laying thing. She was completely frantic, trying to find a place to hide. Lol. I put her in a nest box and she immediately started settling in. I had to go into the coop and just check to see how she was doing til she got the hang of it. 3). Put "training eggs" in the nests. It makes the nest seem more safe and appealing. Some people use plastic Easter eggs or golf balls. Good luck!
