They know where their home is. The first egg was laid out on the grass, I think because they were inexperienced. But from then on, they were all laid in the nesting boxes, except one whom missed the landing zone, I think to a pile up and probably being on top (they like to share the same box instead of any of the other ones). I found it helpful to put in two lights, one on the first floor of the coop, the second on the top floor where they roost. They are both on timers, and the second one turns off first, right at 8 PM, although they are already inside and upstairs. The second light goes off eight minutes later, figured that between the two, they'd be a beacon to remind the girls where home is one the sun stretches long. Maybe I'm giving them too much credit, but I figure that if they are happy and comfortable, and feel safe, close to what ever they need, they will be more likely to nest there, especially if they bond enough and seek the sisterly relationship with the other hens. Seems to work, because I ended up removing a wall between the highly favored nest and the one next to it to accomedate more hens seeking a place to lay. These social skills are climbing, because while they USED to be fairly quiet when laying, I can always tell when there are more than three up there, kinda like a cheerleading camp. And yes, they free range, though its time to clip wings again. Caught an EE on the roof of the coop.
