We just started our first flock with five 4 month old pullets. I kept them in the coop for the first 3 days to get them acclimated to their new home. For the past few days I let them out all day to free range in an larger fenced off area, and they have all gravitated under the shed/coop (it's a storage shed converted to a coop less than a foot off the ground). They forage around some and then go back under the shed for most of the day. I'm worried that once they start laying eggs in a few months, they will want to lay them under the shed instead of in their nesting boxes. Should I be concerned? Is it a good thing for them to find a safe place like that to rest, or should I discourage it?
They are very likely to start laying under there, unfortunately. It is best to keep chickens from going into areas that you do not have access to, just for that reason.
They may start laying under there, then you'd have to lock them in the coop for a week to habituate them to laying in the coop nests. It can be a good place for them to lounge in the dry shade, maybe dust bathe.... ....but very true that you need to be able to access any place they can access in case one falls ill or lays eggs there. My coop is about 2 feet off the ground and I fenced off part of it about 4 feet back, as it's the only cover they have outside, so if I need to get at them I don't have to crawl too far.
I have allowed my girls access to the Under Coop area b/c they enjoy it. But, have had to use a rake to haul out a couple of pullet eggs. If you allow them under the coop, be very sure that you could reach the far reaches if needed for previous mentioned issues. I like Aart's idea, and may implement the same for myself. Once again, Aart, you look at a problem with your engineer's perspective, and nail the solution on the head, while I waffle back and forth with lots of What If's!
