9 month old blue Australorps (2) not laying - just got them 5 days ago

[FunnyBunny89]

Ok, but apparently these blue Austras were laying before they just stopped laying recently for their previous owner. I guess that's where my confusion is. Why would they start laying at 6 months (at previous owner's house), then stop laying at 8 or 9 months (also at previous owner's house)? 3 months of laying??

Soft molting. Slow molts can take months at times.

 

[nuthatched]

Ok, but apparently these blue Austras were laying before they just stopped laying recently for their previous owner. I guess that's where my confusion is. Why would they start laying at 6 months (at previous owner's house), then stop laying at 8 or 9 months (also at previous owner's house)? 3 months of laying??

Owner could be mistaken or lying .

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Thanks for your response.

Two things: the previous owner said they had stopped laying BEFORE I brought them home (so this isn't a new thing); and I think they're feeling pretty safe and comfortable in their new, much larger and cleaner yard with 2 coops to choose from. In fact, most of my original 5 hens are a bit afraid of them and steer clear from them.

Five days is the blink of an eye when chickens are in a new setting.

In addition to the move, there were already chickens present. Did you do a structured integration, with the Olds and News separated by wire, etc. in a look-don’t-touch style? Even though your original chickens are intimidated by the new ones, it obviously isn’t a single flock yet.

Chickens often don’t lay when they don’t (yet) feel safe.

And as mentioned elsewhere, we in the northern hemisphere are experiencing fewer hours of daylight. This is even more so in northern Cal. It’s not the temperature, it’s the light.