Bought five new birds; None seem to be laying

[Hatrick]

Ok, so first I'll get all my mistakes out in the wind...

We bought five "adult" Rhode Island Reds from a random lady on kijiji. She said they were all one year old and laying daily. They were in not so great shape when we picked them up because she had them all so crammed in together in cages that some are missing feathers. Of course, I still took them because around here our girls free range on 3 acres and are generally spoiled so I just had to save these ones.

We didn't quarentine the new birds...there...I said it. Let's move on.

So anyways, I found two random eggs that appeared to come from the new girls as mine tend to lay in the nest box but since then I've found nothing from them. Is it normal for them to not lay for a bit when they've been moved? Or did I just get screwed out of $40?

 

[canesisters]

How long have you had them?
I think that it's normal for them to stop laying when under stress - like going to a new home.
Did you keep them up in the coop (with the nest boxes) for a few days before letting them range? If not, they might not know where the boxes are or what they're for. It's also possible that they've picked a spot that they prefer and have eggs hidden somewhere on your 3acres.

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

How long ago did you buy them? Hens may take a long while to get accustomed to a new place and may not lay for up to a month( the 2 random eggs you found were probably ones they already had on their way out ready for the next morning). If they started a molt due to the moving stress you may not get eggs for a couple of months even.

Some hens handle moving stress well, they may take only a week or two off.

By the sounds of it your hens experienced quite a change of scenery and lifestyle, being creatures of habit they may take a while to get unstressed enough to start laying again.
I rescued some -tight-confinement- layers, almost bald etc. I think I waited almost 3 months on 80% of them to start laying because they were so stressed they molted totally out of season.

 

[Hatrick]

Ok that's good to know! I won't worry too much about it then. I was in such a hurry for them to experience the great outdoors that I shooed them all outside two days after they got here, which was last Saturday. I guess I'll just wait and see!! Thanks!

 

[donrae]

I'm thinking you need to go on an egg hunt.