First time chicken owner in Dordogne France

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dordogne chickens

dordogne chickens

In the Brooder
Aug 1, 2017
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Hello Everyone
I am originally from Cavendish Vermont and now live in the south west of France.
I am new to chickens, though I have wanted them for a long time. My four hens arrived 9 days ago.
I built a new coop using and existing covered outbuilding. Their fenced run is about 40 x 15 and their coop is 8 x 8ft with a sand based floor, which I have put a roost frame, above that is a a concrete shelf across the whole width, which I put 4 nesting boxes on with straw. There is also a ladder to the shelf....so far week one, as expected was a "getting settled" week. I seem to have one hen laying eggs, mostly daily the other three don't appear to lay anything, they seem to cuddle up at night together either in the corner on the sand or squeeze into one nesting box.

I am loving my new hens but now have had no eggs for 3 days and don't understand why.
Any ideas....I've tried putting their nesting boxes down at ground level (they are locked in at night so safe) but to no avail..they don't seem to use the ladder up to the shelf but fly up there. Am I doing something wrong or perhaps its the end of laying season, or the night long thunder storm stressed them last night?
 
Welcome to BYC from middle Tennessee :frow They are probably still a little stressed. Give them time and lots of love. They'll need a good layer feed and oyster shell. Treats are good too but not more than 10% of their diet. Their nest boxes should be off the ground but below the roosts, you want them to sleep on the roost.
 
Ursuline Chick said:
Welcome, from New Orleans. Where in France is Dordogne?
Click to expand...
Hello the Dordogne is the region east of Bordeaux, north of the Pyrenees. Red wine country for sure..beautiful and a lovely place to live...home will always be New Engand for me....I am so excite to have chickens at last...but learning the ropes...no eggs for a few days now..my hens came from a large egg laying farm so not convinced they really know how this works with private nesting boxes, outdoor space etc...all a learning curve.
 

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Set up looks good, should work fine, have you taken precautions against local predators? Sometimes it takes the girls a little time to get use to their new home before they start to lay again. Also sometimes hens molt this time of year or as it starts to get cooler and stop laying while molting. Be patient and enjoy your hens and what sounds like a lovely area to live in. Really sounds beautiful. hope you have your first egg soon.
 
You can put golf balls in the nest boxes to give them the idea that is where they should lay their eggs. Letting them sleep in the nest boxes is not good. They will end up laying eggs covered with poo. You may want to close off the boxes that they are sleeping in.
 

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