You'll know they are about to lay when the combs and wattles redden. They will also start squatting (lower their body and spread their wings slightly) when you reach down to pet them. Some of them laid their first eggs on the coop floorbut all were using the nests by about 3 weeks of laying. They have a large yard full of grass and weeds so I did a bunch of checking, but they all laid in the coop. I use golf balls but doubt they still need them now, after about 5 or 6 weeks of laying. Some people use rounded rocks or those hollow brightly colored plastic easter eggs or ping pong balls. Doesn't seem to matter; anything that vaguely looks like an egg. Mine are 26 weeks and I got a very small pullet egg yesterday, which I suspect was someone's first egg. I've been getting between 10 and 13 a day from 18 hens.
