Why do chickens abandon their nest box

breezy

Crowing
15 Years
Jan 7, 2009
800
15
281
Sand Coulee MT
I havent had any eggs for a week. I thought they had stopped laying due to the heat and the beginning of an early molt. Today I found 12 eggs under the coop. Based on the color size and shapes its clear all of them have decided to quit using their nest boxes in the coop. I had changed the bedding from straw to pine shavings, would that make them quit? I changed the bedding back to the old stuff and put 2 eggs in the nest and left them there. Tomorrow I plan on putting a skirting around the base of the coop to stop them from getting under there. I have 4 hens and 2 nest boxes in the coop.
What would cause them to stop using the coop nests and what else can I do to get them back into their nest boxes?
 
Mine do that if someone else is on one of their favorite boxes and once one sees her laying in the garage some tend to be followers. I collect eggs from about 4 different spots. You have enough nesting boxes. I use both straw and pine shavings they tend to like the straw.
 

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