New nesting boxes

[Granny23]

Hello!!!
I have 4 adult hens that are about 3.5 yrs old and have been laying in the "little coop" which has 2 nests. It is outside about 5 feet from the big coop.
They, of course, lay in just one of the two.
I got 4 chicks last summer that are now 22 weeks. 2 Anconas and 2 Rhode Island Reds.
A couple months ago I bought a 4 hole nesting box in preparation for the new girls to start laying.
The only place I could put it so it was a bit more private was in the "big coop" which is also where they roost at night..
Someone laid an egg in one of the bottom nests but no one has laid there since.
One of the baby reds, (There are also 2 adult reds) laid an egg under the steps that supports the ladder up to the roost. It IS a nice hidden little hole I have to say.
The older hens aren't laying much but the babies have started and they too are going in the "little coop" to that one particular nest.
Now my question is, if I want all the hens to start laying in the new nests should I close the little coop and deny them access? I'm assuming that if and when everyone starts laying that 4 nesting boxes won't be enough for all 8 hens?
I can also remove the new nesting boxes from the big coop and put them on the wall where the little coop is.
The big coop is 4x8 feet. I'll try to post pictures to give you a more visual idea.
Thank you!!

 

[sourland]

Have you put bedding and 'nest eggs' in the new nest boxes?

 

[Granny23]

Have you put bedding and 'nest eggs' in the new nest boxes?

Bedding yes, no fake eggs. I only have one broody hen, thank goodness, a Plymouth barred rock.
May I will try fake eggs.

 

[ChookaPete]

Bedding yes, no fake eggs. I only have one broody hen, thank goodness, a Plymouth barred rock.
May I will try fake eggs.

Give her some golf balls to sit on.

 

[aart]

Now my question is, if I want all the hens to start laying in the new nests should I close the little coop and deny them access?

Yes, absolutely.
The sooner the better.

What is the little coop for?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Fake eggs (or golf balls) convince the hens that the nests they are in are safe and desirable nests, encouraging them to lay their eggs there too.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm assuming that if and when everyone starts laying that 4 nesting boxes won't be enough for all 8 hens?

I do not believe these numbers are set in stone as each situation is different but the general rule of thumb is that one nest can handle 4 different hens. With 8 hens you probably only need two nest and even then most eggs will probably be in one of the nests. There is nothing wrong with having more nests, I always have more than the minimum, it doesn't hurt anything. But it is probably not necessary.

Now my question is, if I want all the hens to start laying in the new nests should I close the little coop and deny them access?

I would. There is no guarantee that they will use your other nests, they could wind up laying about anywhere. But if you want to beak them of the habit of laying in those nets you need to limit access.

I can also remove the new nesting boxes from the big coop and put them on the wall where the little coop is.

If they are in the habit of laying in the smaller coop and you replace that with the larger coop your chances of them using the larger coop will be much greater.

 

[Granny23]

Yes, absolutely.
The sooner the better.

What is the little coop for?

On July 5, 2021 I found a baby chick in my front yard!! I had no place to keep it so I bought it a friend and a little enclosure with a addition that was for egg laying. "the little coop". The whole thing was big enough to be able to accommodate 2 adult chickens.
My foundling Pepper turned out to be a rooster. Roosters aren't allowed within city limits and some nosy body turned me in to animal control, so I was given 30 days to re-home him. I found a rooster sanctuary and they took Pepper and his female BFF buddy Rosie.
Later, I added 4 more hens.
I had a 4X8 hen house built."The big coop."
Then I started feeling bad about them being stuck in a small area so I attached and added a 13 ft x 9 ft enclosure.

Now I have 8 hens...4 that are 2 to 3.5 yrs and 4 that are 22 weeks.

 

[Loving my girls]

Funny how hens just grow on us isn’t it