Separating Free Range Chickens

[BigDaddyCraig]

I have Splash, Black and Blue Copper French Marans. They are all on about 6 acres and have free-ranged since they were old enough to come out of the brooder. I would like to incubate just the black Copper and I have put 3 layers and a rooster in a separate coop that is about 3'X6'X6', with a separate area that is enclosed with a nest box. ( https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...luxe-farm-house-chicken-coop-up-to-8-chickens)
They have been in there for about 3 weeks and have laid a total of 3 eggs. I put some eggs from the other chickens in the nest box hoping it would get them going, to no avail. I was planning on not pulling any for incubation until around 30 days to make sure there would be no remnants from the other roosters but I am starting to be concerned that this may be an exercise in futility. Is it common for them to take a while to start laying again? If so, how long? Am I doing something wrong? Is there something else I could do? Ideas? Thank you in advance for any help.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

They are most likely just stressed.
That's a pretty small enclosure to go to after free ranging. Thy are probably pretty upset.

 

[aart]

Is it common for them to take a while to start laying again? If so, how long? Am I doing something wrong? Is there something else I could do? Ideas? Thank you in advance for any help.

Confinement after being given free range can definitely stress them, and stress can slow laying. 3x6 is kinda small for 4 birds. Maybe you could free range your different breeding groups on different days, so no hens get mated by the wrong cock?
They should be 'homed' to that enclosure and go back there at dusk.
If you're in the northern hemisphere, they could be slowing production prior to molting too.

 

[mandelyn]

It can take a week or a month for them to adapt to a change in living arrangements. Depending on their age they may also be slowing down for a spell.

You might try adding additional run space to their coop.