Laying hens

Date sort Score sort
Hurricanefan

Hurricanefan

Hatching
Mar 24, 2015
2
0
9
Forsyth County GA
We just acquired 3 hens last Friday. It seems only one is laying though. There are all about a year old. We do live in GA and the weather just warmed up. I am unsure if that has anything to do with it. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!
 
Numerous factors could be in play but I suspect the stress of new surroundings is the cause. Give them time to acclimate and plenty of oyster shell.
 
Chickens don't like change; which is exactly what happened to them in the last week. They have had a change of owners/caretakers, a change of scenery, a change of homes, everything. Change can make them halt production at times. Give them time. Oh, and you didn't say what breed they are. That will affect their production. To be honest, even my leghorns don't lay every single day so just be aware of realistic expectations to have for them once they do get settled.
 
Thank you for the great info. Any other info for this newbie is much appreciated. We also have 4 chicks that are 6 weeks old. When can they come off light? When can we introduce them to the older ones? When can they go out for good?
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!

When chicks are 6 weeks of age, they no longer need the heat lamp. If you take them outside and it is planning on getting really cold, you may need to use the heat lamp at night only.

You can mix in chicks to an adult flock when they are about 3 to 4 months old. Until then you can keep them in an enclosure within the coop and run so they get used to being around each other. Chicks are to small to be around adult birds and can be killed.

When they are 3+ months of age, you can mix them in with the older flock. Make sure you put out more feed and water stations as the older flock can guard these areas and starve them out completely. And always intervene if it ever turns bloody.

Make sure you are sticking to the 5 square foot per bird in the coop and 10 square feet per bird in the run.

Enjoy your new babies! Oh and yes, newly moved birds will stop laying until they get used to their new surroundings. So give them a few weeks to acclimate before they begin laying. Keep some fake eggs in the nest boxes so you train them where to lay their eggs.
 
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