Is this normal for a new bunch of girls?

[NatJ]

Would adding another hen that is laying possible put the idea back into their heads?

It's not their heads that need to change. Just like you don't see a person with a baby, and pop out one of your own a week later.

Making an egg takes quite some time--the yolks get gradually bigger, then one is finally big enough and it needs a white and a shell and then it gets laid.

Once the hen's system is going, they lay another egg every day or so, because there's always another one coming along. But if there are no yolks ready, it can take weeks to get to that first egg.

Many things can make a hen take a break from laying. Yours apparently had bad conditions before you got them, probably had stress at the old home, definitely had stress from moving to an unfamiliar place (yes, it's better at your place--but it's new, and new is still stressful).

It's not surprising that yours are not laying now. They're pretty likely to start laying in the next few weeks, unless they just molt first. If they molt, they probably won't lay eggs until after they finish growing new feathers.

But adding another chicken won't change their hormones, and will increase stress yet again. So no, I don't think it will help.

 

[Sonya9]

Op maybe think of it like this: Originally your mission was to set up your coop and buy some adult layers and have awesome fresh eggs right away!

But God or fate or whatever you want to call it had other plans and instead you bought some traumatized birds very much in need of TLC and someone that will help them heal mentally and physically. Think of that as your new mission and forget about eggs for now as a watched pot never boils etc... In the meantime enjoy the journey as it is very worthwhile and will ultimately be very rewarding.

BTW look at their combs, they are all a very pale pink color which signifies they are NOT laying. When the combs turn bright red that means eggs are on the way soon.

 

[Phlimm]

I spoke to the person who sold them and she said they are not battery hens but that what she fed them was different that what I am. She said she fed them a 38% soy based protein diet blended with calcium and limestone.

I am feeding standard 16% Layer Pellets. How would this affect them? Was she feeding this sort of food to raise them as meat chickens maybe? I've never heard of such a high protein feed.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am betting she went super high protein due to crowding caused pecking and she thought additional protein would stop them. Desperate measures maybe drove her to that high of a protein.

You can add protein to see if it helps.

 

[Folly's place]

Who knows? I can't imagine having birds that looked like yours did...
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

We feed a 20% protein all flock diet, with separate oyster shell, and prefer it to the 16% layer diets out there, especially for better feather regrowth.
Mary

 

[TropicalBabies]

Thanks for the replies. They've started to eat the feed on a regular basis now. No eggs yet.

Two of them seems to be able to understand how to roost, the other two end up on the floor of the coop or in the nesting box. For the last two nights, I wait until they are asleep then move them up to the roosting bars myself. Should I keep doing that?

I've attached several photos so people can see what I am talking about.

View attachment 2273628
The whole group together. Cream Legbar is the beakless one.

View attachment 2273631

Back of the Black Copper Maran.

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Another pic of the backs. These are the worst two. The Lavender Orpington's back is much less noticeable and the Ameraucana's back does not appear to have any issues.

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Their new home with the appropriate dog tax applied. He loves to sniff around the coop but does not bark at them.

Congratulations on your new flock
Beautiful girls and super cute coop (love your puppy photobomb). I also thought that the combs were rather anemic looking. I'd check for bugs, add some vitamins to their water for the first few days and take it from there. Maybe they just need some garden bugs and love for the rest of their lives... maybe a little iron scraped on the crunchies. Rooster(s) should not be doing that to pullets... yikes. They gotta be laying...
She may not have raised them in the best manor- I think most of us can agree on that but they are with YOU now (thank goodness!) . They are probably stunned with all of the space and kindness. I'm sure they will be running you over and squawking for snacks in no time and you will be missing the days when they quietly looked up at you.
I'd keep putting girls on the roost at night till they "get it" too. I think you are doing a great job. Keep up the good work.

 

[Phlimm]

Congratulations on your new flock
Beautiful girls and super cute coop (love your puppy photobomb). I also thought that the combs were rather anemic looking. I'd check for bugs, add some vitamins to their water for the first few days and take it from there. Maybe they just need some garden bugs and love for the rest of their lives... maybe a little iron scraped on the crunchies. Rooster(s) should not be doing that to pullets... yikes. They gotta be laying...
She may not have raised them in the best manor- I think most of us can agree on that but they are with YOU now (thank goodness!) . They are probably stunned with all of the space and kindness. I'm sure they will be running you over and squawking for snacks in no time and you will be missing the days when they quietly looked up at you.
I'd keep putting girls on the roost at night till they "get it" too. I think you are doing a great job. Keep up the good work.

Three now roost every night. The Maran has taken to roosting in the nesting box but I move her up every night too.

So...what vitamins and/or iron source? I did get some meal worms but it was late and they were going to bed so we'll see how they like those today.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Three now roost every night. The Maran has taken to roosting in the nesting box but I move her up every night too.

So...what vitamins and/or iron source? I did get some meal worms but it was late and they were going to bed so we'll see how they like those today.

I just got regular people iron when 1 of my girls was pale. I crushed it to a powder w/ my herb pestle and sprinkled 1/8?? or under of the pill on a favorite food (pasta, tomato, papaya, scrambled egg, wet crumble etc, etc.) that it would stick to and get gobbled up. She got her color within a few days

For a vitamin I use a nutri- drench or a B12. These are fabulous to keep on hand in your pet arsenal and worth the $10 or so that you will spend on each, they can easily be added into the water to treat the whole flock.
I hate to overwhelm you... but when you get the time and since you are still communicating with the gal, ask her if she can send you photos of her set up. Not to criticize, but for your chickens background. I hatch and raise chicks to sell sometimes and if anyone asked me... I'd be thrilled to inundate them with photos and information. I want my kids to go to great homes and I want their new people to be excited and have what they need for them to have long happy lives.
And another thing.... we have not discussed worms yet. That is not a big thing and their past living conditions will be a clue if they were more likely to have picked them up. Worms would tap the energy and pale their combs and may just be a good thing to check for and treat AFTER they have settled in for a bit.
You got this. I have picked up chicks from breeders that needed me to sort some stuff out for them. You have lots going for you. You are not introing them into an already existing flock so they are already in quarantine with each other and you are on BYC getting info and support.
I still have the chicks that I picked up 3 years ago and all are very well.

 

[Hidrainja4]

My non traumatized chickens are three weeks into the new coop and, I am still putting some hens up onto roosting bars and just the lst couple of days we are getting more than one egg a day from five hens. Also all chicken freak out over any changes of habitat for two weeks. Even if it is an improvement. Pale combs means they are under the weather about something and their hormones that says lay eggs are not robust. Give it more time, and if you add another bird that is a change and add two weeks to them settling down over it. I would not add another bird, I would not expect them to lay eggs for at least a month to six weeks because they are in poor condition. I would sit with them and feed them very nutritious food because I like hanging out with my chickens.