Cover the nests full time then,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.
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?