[jaws]

I am a newbie too but I would think you would have to be early to unblock the nesting boxes before the hens want to lay - my hens have usually laid their egg before I get to them in the morning so they have free access to the nesting boxes all night. One usually sleeps in the nesting box and the other on a perch - I just pick out the poo and put it on the compost heap - egg rarely soiled as the poo is usually round the edge and the egg in the middle of the nest. It is lovely to pick up the egg just laid when it is still very warm.

[andreadon]

we let them put themselves to bed, then check up them when it's dark.
then we put them all where they're supposed to be (because they never are in the right place)  .  then close up the pophole.
In the morning, there's no poo in the nest box, so they must stay where they're put once they're asleep.
I don't like to block up the nest box because their being let-out depends on me waking up at the crack of dawn and I don't want to prevent anyone laying if i sleep late....

[nzdunn]

yeah point taken will see wot they do themselves.   nickyx

[janeheritage]

I think everyone's chooks but ours are very well trained. I am usually up to let them out by 0530 at present but they hardly ever lay until later in the morning. I wish they would!

Moving them off the box and onto the perches once they are dozy sounds like the best bet to me, I wish I'd tried that 

[Cass]

OK think I have taken all that on board, thanks again everyone.  No doubt you'll be reading from me again!!
From
Hopeless!!