Most of the chickens I have raised down through the years I have hatched out under my broody hens and let momma raise them. Every now and then I will buy some from a hatchery. Every bunch that I have bought from a hatchery and I have raised up in a brooder have done this. I always figured not having a mother hen makes a big difference in this. I figured out a few years ago that I could train them with the light I had in the coop. I would put a roost pole in a few inches from the floor when they were just getting thier pin feathers. Then I would raise it up a few inches every day or so. Then I would start raising the light up with the roost when the danger of them freezing had passed. In this way I finally trained them to roost. I didn't have to open the nest boxes with these as they were in a lot to themselves and I had them all trained well before they began to lay. I have never had any problems with any of them roosting in the nests or anywhere else since I started doing this. I hate it when they roost in the nests and "fill" them up with the wrong thing! You might try closing off the nests at night untill they find them another roost. Don't stop closing them off too soon though or they will move back in. Hope this helps.
