Just starting out and already in trouble

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saraht64

saraht64

Hatching
May 1, 2015
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Hi all. I am new here and to chicken raising. I have 3 girls, a barred rock, white leg horn, and a what I think is an americana. (I found a green egg which is what leads me to believe this) I also have 2 muscovy drakes, all from the same place. The gentleman that I bought them from assured me that they are all laying and all about 1 1/2 years old. I have had them for just shy of a month now. Here is my problem: none of the girls are laying! The first couple days after I brought them home, I got a couple soft eggs, (I did expect this) and 3 normal eggs (two white and a green). Then, for no reason what so ever they stopped laying. I am feeding them fermented layers crumble with some apple cider thrown into the fermenting water to help keep them Zen and oyster shell readily available at all times. They free range during the day and are cooped up at night. I have searched all the bushes in their area every day with not so much as a shard of an egg and have even resorted to keeping them cooped up for 3 days to see if they are hiding their eggs with no result. Still no eggs. The drakes do share the same coop at night as my hens since I do plan to get a couple muscovy hens soon for them, but they seem to get along with the chickens. They don't chase them or peck at them at all. Am I just being impatient or did I get dud hens? Oh and to top it off before I forget my leghorn decided to start moulting a couple days ago! Please, any advice and help that can be offered would be appreciated greatly. Thank you!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Sorry you are eggless at the moment! Sometimes it does take birds a while to get back to laying after being moved. Other reasons can include illness of some sort, worms, old age, stress, molting, etc...

Be careful with the drakes, they are not meant to breed with chickens and will do so and this can hurt them.

Make sure the birds are under no stress at all. So no barking dogs or too much kid traffic, loud noises from cars, trucks, motorcycles, critters that might be lurking at night and scaring them, don't pick them up unless you have too. Anything that stresses a hen will have them clamping off those eggs.

Keep them on a good diet and limit all goodies. No more than 10% of the daily diet on the treats.

Keep fake eggs in the nest boxes. This will entice them to lay there just in case they do have a secret nest.

Something could be eating their eggs. The birds themselves may be eating the eggs.

Are you sure they are old enough to lay or not to old to not be laying anymore?

Here is a thread on why my birds are not laying. You can also ask questions here as well....https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/423023/why-arent-my-chickens-laying-here-are-your-answers

Good luck and I hope you can figure it all out soon!!
 
Eggs you got shortly after you took the birds, were ready to lay before then. Now the birds have to adjust to you and their new surroundings. 2 Crows has given you good explanations of what happens and needs to be. Give your girls a chance.
 
Thank you both for the help, Unfortunately, my neighbors have dogs that are put out in a pen at work that bark all morning long. There is nothing that I can do about this, the neighbors don't care for me as I have had to have Leo's clamp down on their late night partying several times. We do have 4 kids, but all four are very respectful of animals and give them their space, we did have to put the americanaish one on tylan 50 for 5 days because she developed coryza right after we brought her home. The other two seem to be unaffected by it, no coughing, sneezing or goopy eyes. I wormed them the day that they came home, this isn't my first time raising barnyard animals, just fowl. The only "goodies" that I have given them are bits of apples, worms, and grapes a handful a day at most. As I said, the gentleman assured me they were about 1 1/2 years old, but I don't know how to tell a chicken's age. Is there a way? The layer crumble is at least 14% protein. Does the egg in the layer box have to look like a chicken egg or can it be a plastic zebra striped affair? Is it normal for chickens to moult in the spring? Everything I have read says late summer to early fall. Oh and the apple cider that I was talking about was supposed to say apple cider vinegar. Neither of the drakes seem the least bit interested in mating with the girls, and actually the girls tend to beat them up a bit. I feel bad for the boys because they are so sweet and cute but because we are renting I can't continue building new areas for my animals. My landlady was very sweet about letting me build the coop that I do have and there is more than ample room in it for everyone. They are all such good birds, I don't even have to entice them back into their pen at night, they all go in by themselves and put themselves to bed so all I have to do is close up the screened area after I serve them supper. I am feeding them twice a day as the ducks do like to help themselves to the hen's food as well. I figure it wont hurt the ducks and the chickens don't seem to mind sharing so between the morning and evening feed they get 6 cups of fermented layer crumble a day. Am I feeding them to much? Is the fermented food the best way to feed them? I have read that it is supposed to make them lay better and make them healthier. They do seem to really enjoy it better than dry food. How long does it take for birds to adjust on average to their new surroundings?
 
Ok so after I posted that last I went outside to a rucus and found a bald eagle going after my poor duckie boys! I scared it away after it tried to attack me for keeping it from it's intended meal so I guess I can expect no eggs for at least a couple more days. Someone wanna come stand guard at my house and help me keep my animals? I swear if its not one thing its another.
 
saraht64 said:
Ok so after I posted that last I went outside to a rucus and found a bald eagle going after my poor duckie boys! I scared it away after it tried to attack me for keeping it from it's intended meal so I guess I can expect no eggs for at least a couple more days. Someone wanna come stand guard at my house and help me keep my animals? I swear if its not one thing its another.
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I am sorry you are having so much trouble. The fermented feed is good for them and let them free feed on it. In other words, keep food available all the time during the daylight hours. Let them decide when they want to eat. What happens when you feed them twice a day is, the shier birds are not going to get enough to eat. Some birds need to eat a lot of food and others don't eat much. Some like to stuff themselves and not eat the rest of the day and some like to graze all day long. Your birds will be much happier and healthier if you let them free feed all day long.

As for the dogs, you might put a ticking clock in their coop and even a radio playing during the day on some quiet classical music. I have had great luck with both of these on stressed out birds or birds that are mourning over the loss of one of their buddies. Both of these really help to calm them down. Go sit with them too, on the ground, on their level. Let them know all is well and it is going to be ok. Chickens are smart and flock oriented. You, being their leader, if you are calm, then they will be calmer.

Hang in there and I sure hope you start to get some eggs soon!
 
TwoCrows said:
I am sorry you are having so much trouble. The fermented feed is good for them and let them free feed on it. In other words, keep food available all the time during the daylight hours. Let them decide when they want to eat. What happens when you feed them twice a day is, the shier birds are not going to get enough to eat. Some birds need to eat a lot of food and others don't eat much. Some like to stuff themselves and not eat the rest of the day and some like to graze all day long. Your birds will be much happier and healthier if you let them free feed all day long.

As for the dogs, you might put a ticking clock in their coop and even a radio playing during the day on some quiet classical music. I have had great luck with both of these on stressed out birds or birds that are mourning over the loss of one of their buddies. Both of these really help to calm them down. Go sit with them too, on the ground, on their level. Let them know all is well and it is going to be ok. Chickens are smart and flock oriented. You, being their leader, if you are calm, then they will be calmer.

Hang in there and I sure hope you start to get some eggs soon!
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Thank you for all the advice guys! You guys are awesome. Can you tell me approximately how long it will take once they do stop being so stressed (and moulting in the case of my leghorn) to start laying again?
 

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