Will my girls know to use their nesting boxes?

[Kimber K]

I hope I haven't made a big mistake....... My chickens are 16 weeks old and have been in their coop since they were 8 weeks. Because they were still so young, we put them in before we had their nesting boxes done. Up until last week, the only thing inside the coop was their roost and their food and water... We finally finished their nesting boxes last weekend.

Because we live on 10 acres and I am home most of the time, my Chickens have the luxury of free ranging for most of the day. I only put them in their attached run if I am going to be gone. They are Happy Chickens I open the door to their coop in the morning and they make a bee line out and spend most of the day running around. They do go back and visit their coop/run area a couple times throughout the day, and it is always open to them, but in this warm summer weather they spend a lot of time under trees and bushes. They really do run all over the place. They coop themselves up at night and I just have to go out and close things up so they do know where "Home" is

My question is.... when the time comes for them to start laying, will they KNOW to use the nesting boxes... or because I've let them range so much will I have to worry that they will go out and lay in the other places? Should I put some nesting boxes in those places too? Even thought they are a ways from the coop?

I hope I didn't mess up by not having the nesting boxes in the coop for them to get use to. I'm 100% sure that they haven't started laying yet... but I know the time is getting near.

 

[Chick-a-dow-dee]

This is the exact question have too. I don't have 10 acres and they've already started laying and I think they eggs have all been laid in the hen house, but how can I be sure?

 

[SixChickFlock]

Hi,

I did the same thing you did... It was soooo cold for so long that I had to get the chicks out of the house before the coop was finished. The nest boxes were the last to be completed. Of 6 hens, three are laying in the 3 nests i made, one has started laying near but outside of the coop, and the other two haven't started laying yet (at 22 weeks!!!).

Nellie, who made her own ghetto chicken nest, is the outcast at the bottom of the pecking order. I am confidant that when they are confined to the coop for more than just overnight, she will start to lay in the provided and very nice I must say, nests in the hen house.

Your gals will be fine. Chickens are pretty amazing!!!