Help! My chickens stopped laying after one day with me!

[HarvestMoon87]

Hey, so I need some advice or help or some anti-depressents, yall decide, I just got my first two chickens, two sex link hens, with plans to get several other birds of different breeds, The day after I got them I recieved two eggs. Since then not a one. They have layer mash and water. The run and coop are covered in hay. I dont know what else to say about them to help you help me. They seem to be eating a lot more from the feeder than when I first brought them home, but I thought that was because they were scratching out all the seeds from the hay. One bird is missing some feathers from her chest. They have 12x8ft of run with the coop above it. The nesting boxes and 1x1. Also they dont want to sleep on the roost I built, why not? Please help. I got these birds to not only eat healthy eggs, but also to keep cool animals and I would like for them to be healthy and "regular". Thanks for your time!

 

[roxyblue]

Hey ! Welcome to BYC!!!
Many times when hens are placed in a new environment it takes them a while to get used to things. Often times they shut down for a week or two before producing again, I know mine always do. I wouldn't worry two much about the feather loss, it could be molt, or from being pecked at in their former home. The fact that they are eating more could be a symptom of worms. It would help to have a little bit of back ground including things like: how long they haven't been laying, and exactly how much food they have been consuming.
Hope this helps! and welcome to the "family" here at BYC!
-Roxy

 

[HarvestMoon87]

Today marks one week I have had them, so guess they have not been laying for 6 days. Im not sure how much they have been eating. I put some food in the feeder and they eat it. Shoud I keep track? If they were eating their eggs would there be any sign left? Also what does chicken poop look like? I always thought it looked like bird poop on my truck window... ya know white with a black center thingy... but there is also much larger brown stuff. is that normal?? kinda weird question. Thanks!

 

[roxyblue]

I would say that is normal, My girl Roxy took quite a while to settle in. You don't have to keep exact record of the amout of food they are eating I guess, more of "do they eat like hungry beasts" or like a normal chicken, scratching around and occasionally going to the feeder for a snack. Up in the search bar look up "chicken poo chart" and you should come up with a link to a chart that shows and describes normal poo, and poo from un healthy hens. Chicken poop should be mostly firm brown droppings with white caps that cover the tip. And don't worry, when it comes to chickens no question is a weird question...... Hope this answers your questions!
-Roxyblue

 

[thecluckcrewcam]

hello and welcome to byc
probably the main reason that your hens stopped laying is because you put them in a new location give it a while no more than a week and i bet they will be laying like crazy they also may decrease the number of eggs the produce when you add new chickens not to worry this is normal i think that in time your girls will start to lay it also may have to do with the season and how much light they are getting maybe if you put a light bulb in there run and put it on a timer i know that i just did this with my girls and they are now laying better than ever so i wouldn't worry too much they will lay when they are good and ready and although you can help them you can go and pull the egg out of the chicken
good luck and hope this helps
win
thecluckcrewcam.com