Preventing pullets into nesting box

[aart]

5 chickens. 2 are 2 year old, 3 are about 5-6 months old cemanis. How do I stop these cemanis from sleeping in the nesting box? I have closed up the area for two or more weeks and they might roost with the " elders" or they huddle in the corner. But if I leave the nesting door open I will find them in there at night, and I'll move them back to the roost. No one is laying right now so not too concerned about keeping area closed but they will eventually lay so not sure what to do.

Cover the nests full time then,
shouldn't take more than a few weeks at most to train them to use roosts.
Do you have enough roost length for all the birds?
Dimensions and pics of your coop interior showing roost might help here.
A separate and bit lower roost can really help with integrating new birds.
How long have the new birds been integrated into the flock?

 

[FrannyLW]

Cover the nests full time then,
shouldn't take more than a few weeks at most to train them to use roosts.
Do you have enough roost length for all the birds?
Dimensions and pics of your coop interior showing roost might help here.
A separate and bit lower roost can really help with integrating new birds.
How long have the new birds been integrated into the flock?

There is enough roost length. And I have 2. One is lower thats were the youngers mainly hang out. They have been all together for about a month now. When I peek at them around 5ish (been dark for 1/2 hour now) they are all on the roost. IF i happen to peek in later than that, (not lately its getting colder lol) they are on the lower ledge. Now this is IF I keep the door closed to the opening of the nest box. IF the nest box is open, the youngers are huddled in there.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is enough roost length. And I have 2. One is lower thats were the youngers mainly hang out.

A photo might really help. Sometimes we notice something totally unexpected that explains a lot.

What do these roosts look like. Not just how long they are but how much vertical and horizontal separation do they have? Is the lower one higher than the nests? If the lower roost is higher than the nests it is normal for them to move to the nests.

I've seen older hens leave their normal roosting spot to pick on younger birds as they settle in for the night. So the younger birds look for a safe place to sleep. That can be the nests. Could this be what is happening?

If they are sleeping on that lower roost when the nests are closed then something is driving them off when the nests are open. It could be habit so they need more retraining or it could be something else.