How to change a hens mind?

Or several, for that matter!

The nesting boxes I have for my standard hens are various sized wooden fruit crates, turned on their sides with a board across to keep the shavings and eggs in. I had originally had 5 of them stacked in one corner of the coop and behind a ladder perch, so it was hard to gather the eggs.

This past weekend DH and I added 4 more nesting boxes and moved the whole setup about 5 feet away from where they originally sat, to another corner location. 2-3 hens have taken right to laying in the newest boxes and none have laid any in the old set that sits right beside the new ones.

I have 2-3 hens laying their eggs on the floor in the corner below where their nesting boxes used to sit. Is there any way I can get them to stop this and go lay where the nesting boxes now sit?

I think I am lucky only 5 or 6 hens are laying so far, hopefully the soon to lay hens will go straight for the nesting boxes. Unless they see the eggs being laid on the floor and join in.

 

LoL

Guess I better just get used to picking up eggs from the floor

 

I would, but I built a new ladder perch to put in that spot and rafters up near the ceiling that they like to roost on are above that spot. All the nesting boxes are screwed to the wall in their new location, so it would take a lot to move them.

I wonder if just putting something in that spot would deter them or if they would just lay next to it.

 

I am guessing that hens do not like change!

Only 2 out of the 6 laid eggs in the new nesting boxes the day we moved them. They had fits the whole time we were working in the coop, climbing all over everything, in and out of boxes on the floor. The following day, not 1 egg from any of them. Guess they all got mad. Now I am getting eggs again, but half are in the wrong place.