Any tips to get my ladies layin?

[Left Spur]

On the two hens with the large combs, the combs do not appear very red; possibly just the picture. When combs are not bright and red the hen is not in condition. 14 months-at that age, if healthy, the should have bright red combs. I can tell you they are not all the same age.

After being cheated in my younger days I guess I do not have a lot of faith in people when they are selling... Purchasing chicks/obviously young pullets/or hatching eggs is what I do when I want new birds. Once mature, a healthy chicken could be any age to a buyer. Unfortunately...

I hope this is not what happened to you and you'll soon get lots of eggs. Good luck.

We all used to get cheated. Just go to the different store and never comes back again.
Search a reference before you buy something, nowadays if someone tried to cheat me i'll just walk away and pretend that i never see that cheater, try to ignore them, or point out the truth and make them shut their crap or try a smug face, they'll back off.

 

[aart]

How long do you think it will take for them to get used to a new home?

Could be a few weeks....or more.

i was going to call the guy that I purchased them off this morning with a view of swapping out the two older birds. Would this be worthwhile?

No, not really.

You'll need to tell the kids to be patient. The brown bird does appear to be younger and not yet developed enough to be laying. They also just came to a new home so stress will throw them off any laying schedule they already had.

Ditto Dat^^^

Chickens are not 'plug and play' egg machines....
...they can teach you patience, or not.

 

[CatWhisperer]

Wait till spring if you are in the northern hemisphere

 

[devs]

Hi and thanks for the comment. I try and give them all I can but your suggestions have inspired me to source extra for them. The run currently has sand in it, I hope to free range in the NY when the weather improves. i was missing a dust bath for them but as of yesterday I have repurposed an old tyre in the run for them.

I'm been enjoying the process of introducing them. I have one of those wildlife camera traps and its been interesting to see how they adapt. just hope they start laying some eggs soon!

 

[etvixen]

So I'm brand new at this, so my input is worthless but this is something I've given thought to regarding my own pullets and here's where my thoughts have led me:
I'm not doing this for money, which is good, because I would never make any. So, my focus should be on long-term health and productivity. As far as I can tell, egg laying is taxing on the physical resources of the hen. Moves, changes, and moulting also tax them. Although I live somewhere warm and within a tropical latitude (=longer winter days), I would rather them put their energy into growing strong bones and ligaments, healthy plumage, and solid immune systems right now. I don't know if what just happened would be considered just a juvenile molt, more of a fall molt, or a combination, but based on the feather situation, a lot of energy was going into new feathers, lol! - thank God that subsided before the in-laws get here for the holidays and declared me insane!
Now the days are getting shorter just as they are coming close to when the first eggs might be expected age-wise. And none of mine are production layers. I now look at this as a potential blessing. I won't be supplementing the light and I've made a vow to myself to not go crazy waiting for the proverbial egg pot to boil. I'm telling myself the chickens will be healthier, more productive down the line, hopefully for several years, and offer up better quality eggs if I don't fight them laying on their own time. So, I'm instead focusing my energy on enriching their environment, learning about them, and feeding them high quality food free-choice with an eye to some delicious eggs early spring from some gals who are like, hey, that was no sweat!

I have no idea if I'm right, but at least I have a counter to the inner voice (and constant questioning of others) berating me with "When's the eggs, where's the eggs?!" Anyhow, I think this logic may be something you can share with your kids about what the chickens are about beyond egg vending machines, consider ways to support their wellness overall, and maybe get the kids interested in things like making them easier to handle for when they will need help from you, enjoying observing their natural behaviors, and heck, maybe even a analogous lesson about not getting into the reproduction game until we are mature and ready. Have them gather some feathers and appreciate the beautiful variations and make it a craft project. They offer us so much more than just the eggs if you can make space for it.

 

[Mrs. K]

Whenever I have brought in new birds, often times I have had an egg the next day and then nothing for several days. The egg I got was in the pipe so to speak.

Looking at your birds, they do look young to me. I would expect them to be point of lay birds, which means soon. The problem is the day length, which you are supplementing. I would expect eggs within the next week if they were laying before you got them, and within a month or two if they were not quite laying when you got them.

I have had chickens for 12 years, and I have spent many a wish waiting for eggs, and about the time you give up on ever getting an egg, there it is. So much fun. Keep waiting.

Mrs K

 

[devs]

Thanks very much guys, I've enjoyed reading the comments and also observing the birds habits in the coop with the kids via a wildlife cam.

They seem to now be settling into there new home much better now. The only things that I have spotted is that there is little or no interaction with the nests. Is there anything that I could do to introduce them? I was thinking of sprinkling some meal worm, but am unsure if this is the route to take?

 

[CCUK]

The two older birds look like bluebells. Hybrid layers. The one closer to you looks like she may have just finished molting. The brown one is definitely too young to be laying. She could be a Warren hen but looks too dark so maybe a rhode island cross of sorts. The light may encourage laying with the other two but not necessarily soon. They will instinctively go to the nest when they feel settled into their new surroundings. I'm in uk and my hens have all but stopped laying. I don't supplement light as I like them to have a break from laying throughout the winter. The change in weather also plays a massive part in egg production. Now it's cold and wet with shorter days it's natural for them slow to a near stop.

 

[aart]

Is there anything that I could do to introduce them? I was thinking of sprinkling some meal worm, but am unsure if this is the route to take?

I would not put food in the nests.
The fake eggs are enough.
Again, patience.
When they need to lay, they'll go in them.

Wondering if there is another roost/perch besides the one I see in front of nests?
Where are they sleeping at night?

 

[devs]

Okay thanks. There is just the one roost and they all sleep bunched up on the right hand side near the window.