My chicken won't lay please HELP

[Crazy4Fowl]

I have had a Mille Fluer bantam chicken that is 8 months old. She is very friendly and loves to be with us. We relocated her from Nh to FL where it's warm. I am wondering if the driving down (yes we drove down with a chicken) would disrupt her laying. The only problem is she doesn't lay eggs. We don't know is she was laying eggs in Nh or not. We know she isn't laying them somewhere else where we can't find them. Do mille fluer chickens lay unfertilized/eating eggs? We know if she laid an egg it wouldn't be to big... Thanks Crazy4Fowl

 

[ChickenCanoe]

All chickens that aren't with a rooster lay infertile eggs. The presence of a rooster doesn't affect laying except that there was a study that pullets in the presence of a rooster commenced lay earlier.
Is the Mille Fluer your only chicken?
How long has it been since the relocation?
Did you ask the previous owner if she had laid?

 

[Crazy4Fowl]

All chickens that aren't with a rooster lay infertile eggs. The presence of a rooster doesn't affect laying except that there was a study that pullets in the presence of a rooster commenced lay earlier.
Is the Mille Fluer your only chicken?
How long has it been since the relocation?
Did you ask the previous owner if she had laid?

They said they don't quite know because she was a free range and she was with a rooster but a different bantam breed. We have had her almost 2 months now maybe a little less. We have 8 other chickens but all are regular size chickens not bantams

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The combination of the stress of the move, being with a flock of strangers and the short days may be sufficient to delay onset of lay significantly.

 

[Crazy4Fowl]

The combination of the stress of the move, being with a flock of strangers and the short days may be sufficient to delay onset of lay significantly.

She isn't with the other chickens because they are mean to her. She is in a big clear box with shavings right now until we build another coop.

 

[Crazy4Fowl]

Also the people I got her from said before they let them be free range she wasn't laying and they never found any small eggs.

 

[Beldenfarm]

She isn't with the other chickens because they are mean to her. She is in a big clear box with shavings right now until we build another coop.

Well no wonder she won't lay! She is all alone, probably so lonely, and in a box, so she has very little leg space to move around and do her chicken thing. Please please please just fence off a section of your run, either with fencing or netting or even use a dog crate(the wire kind), and put her in there during the day with food and water. It will allow the flock to see her, not touch her, and begin their pecking order by looks and sounds and appearance. After a few months of that you can let them intermingle and it should be okay and violence free or mild. Please research chicken integration and follow it. This hen is probably very stressed being alone and in a box.... Sorry if it sounds like a rant but she is probably very scared or lonely!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Chickens are flock animals and rapidly go downhill without other chickens.

Also, while she's not laying, make sure she's not eating layer feed.

 

[JediJinx]

I agree with other posters, you need to introduce her to others first with a fence, then during supervised free interaction during the day. This is how I have done it and it works fine. They will pick on her a little, just watch them to make sure nothing terrible happens. Once you are sure they are not going to cannibalize her, you can put her in when they are all sleeping.

About the laying, I am thinking hens will only lay when the daylight is longer than 11-12 hrs. You can supplement light if you want. But chances are she will lay fine in the spring.

I have a pullet who started laying in Sept, she laid for about 3 weeks then stopped with the falling daylight. She has not laid an egg since then. Another of mine laid 2 eggs then quit in Oct, I started leaving the lights on until about 8-9 pm and she is laying again. These transitions take weeks, not hours for them to adjust. They will quit laying when moved to a new home. It may take 2 months to get them into their groove again.

 

[Crazy4Fowl]

Well no wonder she won't lay! She is all alone, probably so lonely, and in a box, so she has very little leg space to move around and do her chicken thing. Please please please just fence off a section of your run, either with fencing or netting or even use a dog crate(the wire kind), and put her in there during the day with food and water. It will allow the flock to see her, not touch her, and begin their pecking order by looks and sounds and appearance. After a few months of that you can let them intermingle and it should be okay and violence free or mild. Please research chicken integration and follow it. This hen is probably very stressed being alone and in a box.... Sorry if it sounds like a rant but she is probably very scared or lonely!!

We let her out side to scratch and get bugs in an area where she can't hide eggs (so we know she isn't laying when she is out). Also she is with us in our house a lot. She has gotten to really like us. So the "no leg room" idea isn't it. Plus she was with chickens at the other owners house and they hurt her even other bantams. Thats why we took her, because she was being beaten. We are getting her ducks in February so she won't be alone.... So we won't introduce her to the flock again. We have tried many times.