At a loss for eggs

[Eggstaticnewbie]

So we trasferred 5 hens Thursday into our coop. Saturday..1 egg. Sunday...1 egg. Purchased feed...Dumor poultry layer pellets. We know that the hens are about 14 months old..and layed well at old coop. I wonder if they are bored. They just stand around. They eat well, and are drinking well today...though I am just concerned that they maybe are not getting enough exercise...If they don't move around enough...will they lay?

 

[chickenhound]

Maybe the chickens are a bit stressed because of the move. That would be my guess. Give them a few days to get used to their new environment.

 

[ccr chickens]

Yes mine took a week or so after bringing in new hens

 

[Farmer Viola]

Maybe the chickens are a bit stressed because of the move. That would be my guess. Give them a few days to get used to their new environment.

I agree, a pause in laying is to be expected when making a move like this due to stress.

So we trasferred 5 hens Thursday into our coop. Saturday..1 egg. Sunday...1 egg. Purchased feed...Dumor poultry layer pellets. We know that the hens are about 14 months old..and layed well at old coop. I wonder if they are bored. They just stand around. They eat well, and are drinking well today...though I am just concerned that they maybe are not getting enough exercise...If they don't move around enough...will they lay?

do you know why they were re-homed at 14months? was it because they were not laying by chance?

have they had their 1 year molt?

around 12-16 months it is typical for hens to molt, which means they drop all their feathers and re-grow them completely. this is extremely taxing on the body and they do not lay eggs during a molt. they will also stop laying for 2-3 weeks prior to dropping all their feathers, then one day, they are bald! it looks awful, but it will grow back more beautiful than before. their eggs will be rich and full of vitality after their bodies get the rest and refresh that it needs.

for stress, you can also supplement electrolytes and pro-biotics in their water. make sure to give regular water too.

the standing around all day thing is weird. they should be pecking the ground constantly. what type of ground are they on? grass? dirt?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

So we trasferred 5 hens Thursday into our coop. Saturday..1 egg. Sunday...1 egg. Purchased feed...Dumor poultry layer pellets. We know that the hens are about 14 months old..and layed well at old coop. I wonder if they are bored. They just stand around. They eat well, and are drinking well today...though I am just concerned that they maybe are not getting enough exercise...If they don't move around enough...will they lay?

Stress - such as a move - can cause a layer to take a bit of a break in production. As to the concern about lack of exercise, consider the plight of the battery hen who is packed in so tight as to not have any meaningful movement in her life and yet produces like the machine she is treated as.

 

[Eggstaticnewbie]

They were relocated because old farm was downiszing due to family health issues. They are on a mix of sand/dirt substrate. I have tried to entertain them with branches and cabbage leaves in a suet cage. They are drinking water well today. They peck around..kick dirt around...and move from roost to ground...but for the most part they are just standing there.

 

[Farmer Viola]

They were relocated because old farm was downiszing due to family health issues. They are on a mix of sand/dirt substrate. I have tried to entertain them with branches and cabbage leaves in a suet cage. They are drinking water well today. They peck around..kick dirt around...and move from roost to ground...but for the most part they are just standing there.

their instinct is to dig through fertile soil for bugs and worms, eat grass, and they will primarily exist underneath low bush cover where they are safe from aerial predators. if you can provide them with this type of environment, they will be most entertained. there probably aren't many bugs or grass in the sand and dirt they have. giving roosts of varying heights mimics tree branches and that's fun too.