My chickens are laying now, but not using their boxes

[SeeMoChickens]

I've placed "fake eggs" in their boxes and moved them boxes down lower so the eggs can be seen at chicken eye level, but they go into the coop to lay since we don't have a door. I've tried to close off the coop door so they can't return inside, but they just lay their eggs in hard to find places.

I should add our chickens are in a secure hoop coop run & coop combo, but are free range throughout the day. They return to the coop during the day to lay eggs, but won't use the exterior nesting boxes mounted on one end. Instead, they lay inside the coop itself which requires me to unscrew one wall of the coop to collect the eggs
If I make the coop unavailable, I don't know where they lay although I'll occasionally find eggs on the ground near the run or inside it. Is there a way to "train" them to start using the boxes?

 

[BjaJra826]

Sometimes new layers are freaked out. Other times, they are resistant. My birds each have height preferences for where they like to lay. I have one hen who refuses to use nesting boxes that are not on the ground, and another who prefers the box to be elevated. Your birds might feel like the exterior nesting boxes are not safe enough. When a chicken lays they are vunerable, and they lay clutches to incubate so they prefer their eggs to be somewhere they deem safe. Do your boxes have something over them? I use 5 gallon buckets as nesting boxes. It gives them a feeling of security to have a roof over their eggs, even if its not much. I wish I had a better answer for you, but it is probally gonna take you some trial and error to decipher what your girls want/need.

 

[Mtnboomer]

It can take them awhile to figure it out. When my young birds come of age, the first week i will find eggs in the shed, flower beds, or in main aisle of coop. But after a few days they find the boxes. I use the wooden eggs to teach them but i think they just see an older hen who knows what to do and they follow suit.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Chickens do what they want and if they don't like the boxes they will NOT use them! I find that my hens like the highest nesting boxes, although the lowest ones are used as well. Your chickens clearly like the quiet of the coop for laying, they feel safe there. I'd find a way to allow them to do that. Hens will not lay where they don't feel safe.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Chickens do what they want and if they don't like the boxes they will NOT use them! I find that my hens like the highest nesting boxes, although the lowest ones are used as well. Your chickens clearly like the quiet of the coop for laying, they feel safe there. I'd find a way to allow them to do that. Hens will not lay where they don't feel safe. View attachment 2020760

I designed my coop to have 7 nesting boxes of each side of a main open floor. I keep track of every egg laid including which box they use. Each year the same 2 boxes are their favorite places. Although all boxes are used to some extent, in the spring and summer the left side corner bozes are favored and in winter the right corner box closest to the door is preferred. So much so that in January more than 50 eggs were pulled from that one box.
I suspect that temperature is the motivation. In the warmer months, the left hand side is shaded slightly more and in winter the right hand side gets more sun exposure.
Pretty cool, i think, to watch it change and wonder what triggers them to lay eggs haphazardly in any box before picking a new favorite.

 

[aart]

I should add our chickens are in a secure hoop coop run & coop combo, but are free range throughout the day. They return to the coop during the day to lay eggs, but won't use the exterior nesting boxes mounted on one end.

Please post some pics of your coop and run...and nests.
I don't understand why the nests are not in the coop?

Oh, and...Welcome to BYC! @SeeMoChickens
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes definitely need photos of the set up, especially the boxes. My guess is the boxes aren't private enough, but hard to say when I can't visualize what they look like.