My hens won't use the nice nesting boxes.

[mossyoakpro]

I had a similar experience not long ago....I had purchased nice boxes for them to lay in but they began laying them in the corners of the coop(and my carport) but that's another story....anyway I blocked the corners and put milk crates in those spots and they took to them easily. I still had 1 that refused to use those because I think she is down on the order so she still used another corner so I made her a nice laundry basket box and filled it with some rafia that is nice and fluffy and now she has her own spot to lay. Occasionally one of the others get in her box but it's normally just hers by herself. I know you want them to use your boxes but it seems they just do what they want to do and we have to try and adapt...my nice new nest boxes are now packed up and ready for a yard sale.

 

[HookedonChooks12]

My hens had the same issues with wooden nest boxes, so we bought the insulated chicken nest box, put a couple of fake eggs in it and they absolutely love it . Hands down the best chicken nest box on the market and it's detachable.

https://www.nestyboxes.com.au/collections/nest-boxes

 

[Double Yolked]

Some years ago I gave up, totally, on straw in any form for chicken nests. I have watched my ladies kick straw out with abandon, I've had hens choose to lay their egg on bare ground under a freaking scrap piece of lumber that was 6 inches above their heads instead of using the extremely well made nest boxes. My boxes are empty except for the occasional sprinkle of chips (All carefully kicked to the corners since my little princesses don't LIKE anything in the nest box) I finally ended up using a piece of very thick cardboard for egg cushion and changing it once every one to two weeks.
Mites will keep hens from laying in a nest (And weaken and even kill chicks from blood loss) and I suspect refusal to use nesting material may be a genetic reaction. Hens that hate nesting material may be raising more chicks (no pest kills) so, I'd go with the flow. If they don't like nesting material don't put in nesting material.
As for teaching them to use the roosts? Been there, done that. Just be patient and make a point out of not allowing them to get away with running off to a corner to spend the night. They'll learn, eventually.
I actually like a good rooster for this very reason. A GOOD (there's bad ones galore) rooster will teach the girls how to chicken properly. The one in my avatar photo was just that kind of Rooster. I watched him line up the new young hens and give them a guided tour of their own hen house talking a blue streak. It worked. They used the roost, the boxes and were peaceful about it. And I had some stress relief!