nest box question

[Hennyhandler]

My chickens are not old enough to lay eggs right now but they are already in their coop with the nest boxes. i have boarded up the nest boxes so that they cant get into them so they wont think they can roost or poop in them but if im not exactly for sure when they will begin to lay how do i know when to open up the nest boxes for them. I would hate for them to start to lay in the floor of the coop.

 

[cmom]

Most birds start laying at 20 to 24 weeks. I did have a couple of pullets that started laying at 17 weeks. When they were around 16 weeks I opened my nest boxes. I did have some try to sleep in the boxes so I put milk crates in the nests at night and took them out in the mornings for a good week. Also I made sure my roosts were higher than the highest nest box.