HeLP! My new 1 year old Hens are not laying

[Sue1137]

I am new to this chickens hobby and I purchased 2 hens that are a year old. The problem is its been 7 days and no eggs! I catch one of them in the nesting box s couple of times but no eggs ..
Should I be doing something or let them be?? Any info would help

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

They could be stressed from arriving to their new home. Give them a few more days to settle in, and if they still haven't shown any signs of egg laying you may post again.

Is there any feathers lying around the pen? If so, they could be molting, and when they molt; they stop laying and eat more.

Good luck!

 

[Mtn Laurel]

You and I are in the same boat. One week ago today we got two red sex links pullets that the owner said had not yet laid. We also got two older hens - black sex links - that were laying daily.

First day here I watched as one of the red's went to the nest and laid an egg! This was one of the birds that supposedly had not laid before so I was doubly excited. Figured they'd all be laying in a day or two. WRONG!

NOTHING yet from the more experienced black girls. Yet we've watched that one red go in and just pop an egg in minutes most every day.

You don't say where you're from - I'm in VA and we got hit with a heat wave on day #2 of the girls being here. I'm convinced that the heat - as well as the move - is behind all this.

Anyway - from what I'm reading here, I think it's fairly normal. Not ready to make the girls into nuggets just yet!

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Depending on where you live, they could be thinking of molting already. When my Production red molted, she lost almost all her feathers!

 

[Sue1137]

I don't think their molting because I do not see any loose feathers , I live in Massachusetts and a few days last week it was incredibly hot,so I don't know if that didn't help with the move and all..I have 4 other pullers that f 14 weeks old and they sleep in the coop at night , but my 2. Laying hens prefer to sleep outside on the perch in the enclosed pen..I don't know why they prefer to sleep outside, I am not sure if I should force them inside or not..The enclosed pen us secure from predators ..

 

[Sue1137]

It also don't help that my pollets keep messing up the straw in the nesting boxes