Laying outside?

[pickledsister3]

I am really new at this. I have 13 mixed flock hens, they started laying about a month ago and they have been increasing production daily. We are now getting 6-9 eggs a day (very proud of the girls). We have six nest boxes (the aluminum type 3 upper and 3 lower). From the start the girls have been using the 3 lower boxes, but I can not tell that they even know that the upper ones are there. This week we have found 3 eggs outside on the ground. How can I get the girls to use the upper nests. Can I block off the lower ones and hope they find the upper ones?

 

[jeepguy982001]

u can try putting golfballs in the nest boxes worked for me

 

[Fred's Hens]

Since most pullets lay before 3 pm, I'm pretty stingy about not allowing eggs to be laid outside all over. When the pullets reach point of lay, they just don't get released to roam until after 3 pm. Once I see they all are laying and all have the nesting boxes figured out and I feel I can trust them, I might slowly up their release time to noon. I still watch them. Do the stragglers return to the coop to seek out a nest box? Once I am confident in the them, I can release them at 10 am.

Young pullets don't automatically "know" they supposed to lay inside. In my experience, there a bit of a training period that needs to happen.