[Tosca]

I've had my three hens for a week now, and would just like to check that i'm doing everything i should be doing! They have a house and a run, i have wood shavings on the house floor and i've got straw in the nesting boxes. I'm giving them a bowl of layers mash and fresh water every day and have cooked a few veg peelings a couple of times. There is a bowl of grit in the run as well. They have a couple of hours in the garden when i'm out there, otherwise they are in their run. They were sold as point of lay, and as yet haven't laid. They are friendly, i handle (cuddle) them every day, they eat out of my hand and follow me around the garden. Is there anything that i should or shouldn't be doing that you can think of? They do seem happy which must be a good sign.
Thanks very much for any words of wisdom

[Chookiechook]

Hiya....

I would only suggest two things,  One is the straw.... I feel that it gives any nasty mites or lurgies a nice place to hide in the hollow stems of the straw..... and do they have food all day long.... they need to eat all the time... much like myself

[Tattyanne456]

As you've only had them a week, I would give them a little longer to settle in as it were. they'll be laying soon you'll see!

[mollski]

HEY SOUNDS GREAT WHAT sort are you hens please ?post some photos  

[GrannieAnnie]

Some people do sell pullets from 14 weeks old and say they are point of lay, but some hybrids like the amberlinks often don't start laying until 23+ weeks, and some pure breeds don't start laying until 30+ weeks!

so be patient, they'll do it in their own time!  

[Tosca]

Thank you very much for the tips, glad i seem to be doing okay with them. We have three black rock x rhode island reds, they do have food available all day and i top it up if it gets low, so that part is okay. What bedding should i use instead of straw, we have hay, but it doesn't last as well as straw without getting manky!
I'll put a picture on the pictures thread 

[Squibbs]

If you want to compost your chicken's bedding when you clear them out I can recommend aubiose - its made from help stalks and is intended for horses - but is very absorbent and composts better than straw or wood shavings.

We have recently gone back to straw in the nest boxes - the chickens prefer it and now lay in the house rather than in the hedge, on the leaf pile, under the shed or wherever we havent been looking lately

[themagicaltoad1]

A lot of people use straw and are quite happy with it. Don't use hay as it's cut grass and if the chooks start eating it they could get it trapped in their crop because it's too long. Sounds like you have everything nicely settled, you'll just have to be patient and wait til they're ready to lay.

[beulah59]

Just to repeat the point they should have access to food all day ...

[Henlady]

I got my ladies 5 weeks ago today, they were 15 weeks old and I got my first egg yesterday and a 2nd today. 

I now have 2 small eggs sitting on my kitchen top that I don't want to break - how daft is that.  As they are the first ones I may blow them and then decorate the shells and add to my Easter tree.

[Jeanette]

I would give them oyster shell and egg shells that have been put in a hot oven for a few minitues and then crushed up small i then mix the egg shells in with their layes pellets. When i crush the egg shells i do it with a old rolling pin in a bowl it is great for anger management.

[Sassy]

Agree with Jeanette don't forget the oyster shell - they need this to make strong shells. The grit is to help them grind their food in their crops so that they can digest it. They'll lay soon and probably all at different times. Bood luck