Access to nest boxes before laying is a fundamental behavioral need for hens - its provision or denial is one of the clearest welfare distinctions between cage and cage-free systems.
Pre-laying nest-seeking is one of the most intensely motivated behaviors in laying hens. Research using obstruction tests shows hens will work harder to access a nest box before laying than they will to access food, demonstrating the strength of this motivation. A hen in a conventional cage forced to lay on a wire floor is experiencing significant frustration - her motivation to seek a secluded nesting site is completely thwarted with no alternative. This is not a minor discomfort but a fundamental behavioral deprivation repeated every time she lays an egg throughout her productive life. Cage-free systems represent a meaningful welfare advance specifically because they allow this essential behavior.