Young hen won't lay her eggs in a nest box, any suggestions?

[MiaHudy]

Hello All!
I have a year old Brahma hen who just started laying, (I got her late in the season last year). She will go in the coop and hop in the nest box for awhile, but then hops out, goes into the run and lays her egg.

I have 3 hens total, two Wyandottes who are besties, and even though I have two nest boxes in the coop everyone seems to want to use the same one. The Brahma, (Binky is her name) will hop in the nest box, but the other two girls will go into the coop and chatter and squawk at her, and I think this makes her nervous. The other two girls push her around a bit, they don't hurt her, but it is clear who is in charge.

So I think she is getting freaked out (she is still new to this egg business), runs out of the coop and drops her egg in the run area. The problem is the other girls will peck or step on it, or it breaks when she drops it. I have found 3 broken eggs in the run. I was able to save the one she layed today. I ran outside as soon as I heard her egg song. I do not want the girls to become egg eaters.


Would a nest box in the run area be a good idea? We live in the So Cal. area so weather isn't an issue.

Thanks for the advice =)

Mia

 

[chicken farmer8]

that is completely normal for some young hens when they first start laying i have had hens do the same thing they will eventually grow out of it once they figure out what they are doing. and my hens will usually only use two boxes out of 8 and i have 16 chickens so you can see how that turns out sometimes she will fin a time that d=she can slip away and lay her egg don't worrie this all comes as she learns