Nesting Box Conundrum

[Branch Chickens]

So I was one of those people who didn't close off the nesting boxes before moving my 5 week old chicks out to the coop. Oops! I felt bad cutting of their safe spot too soon, so they continued to sleep all piled into one box (how did they do that!?) until 10 weeks.
At that point my husband and I boarded the nesting boxes up, and after we managed to shape the boards so that they couldn't perch ON TOP of the nesting boxes, they finally learned to use the roost.
The "chicks" are now 16 weeks old and have been roosting for over a month. Now that we're inching closer to point of lay, I'm wondering what is going to happen when we open up the front of the nesting boxes again. Do you think they'll try to sleep in there again? How many weeks until I should uncover them, and should I put curtains or something in front of them to discourage sleeping in there?
Let me know what you think!

Thanks in advance

 

[ShockValue]

Make sure the roosts are higher than the boxes.

I wouldn't open them up until they start showing signs of laying (singing, squatting, red faces.)

 

[Branch Chickens]

Thanks for the advice SV!

Any thoughts as to whether I'll have much trouble with them trying to sleep in there again?

 

[rc4u]

should not be a problem for them to sleep there again as there habits have changed and they wont change again, unless they have to again..jeff