Will hens just start to go in nest boxes when ready to lay?

[put148]

I have just gotten my flock of hens about a week ago and they have adjusted well now. They go in and out of the coop, at night they hop up on the roost to sleep and just peck around all day.
My question is I figured that they might be curious and check out the nest boxes even though they are probably about 2-4 weeks away from laying eggs. I have golf balls in there just to stimulate them to take a look, but I can see no sign of them getting up into them and seeing whats in them. They do seem curious when I open the lid to it which I have on the outside of the pen area of the coop.
Like I said I guess I just figured they'd want to explore and check it out, and also want to see if maybe I should pick them up and put them on the perch to get into them or not. Let me know what you think, unsure if they will figure out on there own or should I teach them what they are by putting them up by them. I will say I'm am glad they aren't sleeping there, they do seem happy with the roost.

 

[cntrywmnkw]

They may or may not, it's up to them, I sure haven't figured them out yet. Some of my girls use their nesting boxes, some refuse to. I've had mine use a box for awhile then start laying on the floor, then back to the nest box again, go figure. I even went so far as to put the eggs into the nest box when I found one on the floor, they somehow got the egg BACK OUT of the nest & BACK ON the floor & laid another egg on the floor

. You'll just have to wait and see.

 

[put148]

Yeah I hope they lay there eggs in there after all the planning and time we spent building them. I also have one hen that seems a bit slow, she will sit on the poop board below the roost and I have to move her up cause I don't want the others going on her, I don't know if she's sitting close enough but I still worry about it. But she also always seems to be thinking and wondering about stuff but when it comes to actually making a choice she seems like she just cant make a decision. Like in the morning sometimes all the others will go out and she'll sit in the corner and then when I prompt her she will go out. Same thing with water the first few days, it was like she didn't think about drinking even though she walked past the waterer every day, but when I put a bowl of it in front of her she then decided that she wanted it. I just didn't know if sometimes some chickens are just slower or maybe she has a slight mental problem, she is missing some feathers from her neck from when she was born so she looks like a turkey kinda, but other than that she seems happy and healthy.

 

[Attila the Hen]

I have 3 nesting boxes and they go everywhere else in the coop but there. Sometimes they use the nesting boxes. The older girls use to but now they go under the coop. I don't really care so long as I can get the eggs. Whatever makes them happy--they are feeding me.

 

[theotherfoote]

My hens just started laying and they all use the nesting boxes with no problems. I put some of those fake colored Easter eggs in there for inspiration and they took it from there. We got 3 eggs yesterday! (3 out of 4 hens are laying)