New laying hens to exsisting flock, how to get em to use nesting boxes?

[scootty1jack]

We have a flock of 1 rooster and 15 hens that are almost 2 years old. We have 6- 28ish week old hens that are ready to move in with the older girls. They all free range most of the day(11-noon we let them out to free range til bed) and are worried the young girls will lay their eggs anywhere instead of nesting boxes. How do we teach them to lay in nesting boxes? We already use ceramic eggs and can not close them in the coup since the older girls need to lay in there as well. We usually dont take younger girls out of their brooders til they lay, so they are used to laying in there. The 2 groups have been mingling with each other for while now so they are used to each other and we have also givin the younger girls time in the coup. Any help would be great. I depend on my eggs for my living and would hate to loose them because i dont know how to teach them to use the nesting boxes. Our older girls took to them straight away. Help please!

 

[ronott1]

The young ones learn from the older ones. You may have some mis steps but they will lay in the nest boxes too.

 

[scootty1jack]

Thanks for the reply ron. We figured there would be a learning curve but wandered if there was anything else we could do to help them along.
Any other advice, suggestions, tricks are welcomed. Thanks again!

 

[ronott1]

Thanks for the reply ron. We figured there would be a learning curve but wandered if there was anything else we could do to help them along.
Any other advice, suggestions, tricks are welcomed. Thanks again!

Usually new ones here go where the older ones lay eggs. It amazes me how fast they figure it out.

I don't have fake eggs out now either

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Put fake ceramic eggs in your boxes. Block any places they are currently using so they are forced to look elsewhere.

 

[aart]

Our older girls took to them straight away.

Meaning the older girls did not try to keep the newbies out of the coop?
If so, it shouldn't really be a problem, tho it may take some time....
...but if the newbies are used to laying in their 'brooders"

We usually dont take younger girls out of their brooders til they lay, so they are used to laying in there.

they may try to get back there to lay. Chicken don't like change.

Do you have a run attached to the coop, can you keep all the birds confined there?

 

[scootty1jack]

Thank you for replies. We do use ceramic eggs. And yes we do have an enclosed run attached to coup. We have been leaving them confined longer than normal, and as u said they dont like change. Come 2-3:00 the older girls get cranky and want out lol. The older girls took to the nesting boxes right away. A few of the smaller girls have laid in there but a few are still little lost lol we found an egg on our porch steps other day. We r trying to limit where they can lay when thery free range but that hard to do.