I think i need some direction, please

[MROO]

I saw them on the commercial ones. So is it a thing or not?

It is "a thing" in the sense of the hens preferring a bit of privacy when they lay. I can't imagine any of them wanting nosy neighbors interrupting while they make their contribution to their up keep!
The fancy curtain part is more for us. It adds a personalized touch ... and a bit of fun ... as we claim their space as our own, as well!

 

[thecatumbrella]

Those nest boxes look so nice! I use the same plastic pads, but start them out with a bit of large flake shavings on top. I know people love hemp (and I use it myself), but my goodness, do mine make a mess with it. The wood shavings are much larger and better withstand them dinking around in there before they start laying routinely. That's just what works for me.

I'm also batting 100 with mine using the nest box. The Omlet Eglus are not an ideal coop, but the partitioned nest box is practically irresistible to them. Maybe because it's dark? Either way, when I noticed one of my hens getting close to lay, I'll invite her in to the nesting area by playing with the shavings myself. That usually gets them interested. Then they trash the place for a week. THEN they lay in it.

 

[DLA]

I saw them on the commercial ones. So is it a thing or not?

I started with a curtain to encourage them to feel safe in the space but once they've gotten used to laying there you don't really need it. My older chickens never had a curtain, just an open crate with some bedding in it. However some nervous chickens really like the privacy. Depends on the breed and temperament.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I like golf balls. Fake eggs sometimes fool ME, haha! I can ID golf balls by feel. And I don't do curtains but they are cute!

My poor husband tried in vain to wash a wooden egg once. He just couldn’t figure out why it was so dirty and why it wouldn’t come clean! Bless his heart.

 

[MROO]

Or just use golf balls or ping pong balls.

Funny, true story!
We had a "token chicken" growing up, mainly because we figured we couldn't call our little homestead a "farm" without at least one chicken. Henny Penny was more "pet" than livestock - we had ducks for eggs, but she still made her daily contribution, but we never knew where to find it. Her "nest of preference" was upstairs, between my parents' pillows - Mom thought it was hysterical ... my father? Not so much!
We were advised to build her a nest near her roosting spot and add a golf ball to encourage her to use the same spot every day. Worked like a charm ... until it didn't. Henny Penny stopped laying. She turned "sickly," flattening out like a pancake and fluffing out her feathers into a dull pile. Our lovey social butterfly turned into a growling little monster. She was our first chicken, so we didn't know the signs. Mom figured it out when she caught Penny carefully turning her "egg" before settling back down to continue the glower-fest.
There wasn't a rooster for miles, so there was no chance her golf ball was fertile. We did the next best thing ... we gave her duck eggs! I can still see the dirty look Penny offered as she settled in on top of yet another duck egg. Mom was definitely NOT her favorite person, but she accepted them all and eventually hatched out eight domestic mallard ducklings. Now THAT was hysterical, but it's another story for another post!