2 new Easter egger hens with pale comb and one coughs

[Mini-Daisy]

As the title states, we purchased 2 hens and were assured the hens were healthy and currently laying eggs. They are allegedly 9 to 12 month old.

The black hen sometimes makes weird coughing like sounds and her comb seems quite pale to me, but she does eat and drink well.

The other hen is slightly smaller then the black hen or our other Easter Egger hens. She does not cough and overall does seem healthier to me than the black hen.

Not only does their health ( especially of the black hen) worry me, but also does it seem like each of them layed only 1 egg per week which is a lot less than I would have expected.


Should I return the hens ? Is it even save to eat the eggs ?

I would really appreciate any help or advice!!

 

[Eggcessive]

The eggs are safe to eat, but it is a shame they don’t lay better. Diseases early in life can decrease laying and overall health. It sounds like one may have a respiratory disease if she is coughing. Does she have any watery/foamy eyes, nasal drainage, or rattly breathing? Pale combs can be normal if they are molting or not laying. Mites or disease could also cause a pale comb.

What do you feed them? Have you wormed them, or inspected their skin especially under their vents for evidence of lice or mites? Can you describe what their poops look like? I have had hens who never laid well, and have rehomed them to a friend who butchers chickens.

 

[Mini-Daisy]

The eggs are safe to eat, but it is a shame they don’t lay better. Diseases early in life can decrease laying and overall health. It sounds like one may have a respiratory disease if she is coughing. Does she have any watery/foamy eyes, nasal drainage, or rattly breathing? Pale combs can be normal if they are molting or not laying. Mites or disease could also cause a pale comb.

What do you feed them? Have you wormed them, or inspected their skin especially under their vents for evidence of lice or mites? Can you describe what their poops look like? I have had hens who never laid well, and have rehomed them to a friend who butchers chickens.

First of all thank you very much !!

She does not have watery/foamy eyes, nasal drainage or any other obvious symptoms, besides the coughing.

I was suspecting mites as well so I dusted her and inspected her body, but again there seemed to be no problem.

I feed them a layer feed (it’s a Korean brand) as well as occasionally food scraps, fruits, grass and vegetables. I had noticed that is seemed like the hens had not received a lot sunlight before we bought them, but this couldn’t be a possible cause for the comb color right ?

At first their poop was a bit watery, but after some days eating the feed we provide their poop turned normal.

I was considering to rehome them as well, but I’ll give them a chance for a few more weeks to figure out what exactly is going on.

 

[Eggcessive]

They need to have about 12 hours of light in the coop to continue laying through winter, although most chickens in their first season will keep laying. But if they were kept in a dark coop, that could have affected their laying. It is a lot of work starting with baby chicks, but then you are assured of usually getting healthy birds who will lay well. A good heritage breed will lay 3 times a week, while hybrid birds like hatchery red sex links, ISA browns, or RIR, will lay every day, but for a shorter number of years.

 

[Mini-Daisy]

They need to have about 12 hours of light in the coop to continue laying through winter, although most chickens in their first season will keep laying. But if they were kept in a dark coop, that could have affected their laying. It is a lot of work starting with baby chicks, but then you are assured of usually getting healthy birds who will lay well. A good heritage breed will lay 3 times a week, while hybrid birds like hatchery red sex links, ISA browns, or RIR, will lay every day, but for a shorter number of years.

I see, so that could be another reason why they don’t lay well...
We basically didn’t want to purchase any chickens, but after two hens (which we had raised since they hatched as chicks) were killed by a stray dog we decided to buy 2 hens so we won’t be short on eggs.
Thank you again for your help I’m really really appreciating it !

 

[New2Chicks97]

My Easter Eggers don’t lay as regularly as our Sexlinks. Our Sexlinks lay almost everyday while our EE girls probably average 3-4 days a week depending on the bird. Each breed seems to do their own thing when it comes to how often they lay. Our Brahmas only average 2-3 a week. This winter it has been even more sporadic for all of them as we didn’t want to light their coop and force them to lay if they needed time off.

And anytime we have gotten new birds they go through an adjustment phase where they don’t lay for a while. It took some of them a few weeks to settle in and start laying regularly.

Hopefully your new girls settle in and start laying for you soon.

 

[Mini-Daisy]

My Easter Eggers don’t lay as regularly as our Sexlinks. Our Sexlinks lay almost everyday while our EE girls probably average 3-4 days a week depending on the bird. Each breed seems to do their own thing when it comes to how often they lay. Our Brahmas only average 2-3 a week. This winter it has been even more sporadic for all of them as we didn’t want to light their coop and force them to lay if they needed time off.

And anytime we have gotten new birds they go through an adjustment phase where they don’t lay for a while. It took some of them a few weeks to settle in and start laying regularly.

Hopefully your new girls settle in and start laying for you soon.

Guess I need to be a bit more patient, but to my surprise they have layed already each one egg in the last past 3 days which is more than the average of of 1 egg in 6 to 7 days that they layed in the past weeks. Maybe they are slowly settling in, the weather has been warmer lately as well so I’m hoping for the best Thank you again for your very detailed answers means a lot to me !