New chicken owner! Could use some advice

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tortega18

tortega18

Chirping
Joined
Feb 21, 2016
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Hello everyone! I recently got 3 hens all about a year old. Their names are Phoebe, Monica, & Rachel
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Phoebe is a Easter Egger( previous owner said she's already laying)
Monica is a RIR with Australorpe
And Rachel is a RIR with a Leghorn.
I believe the previous owner states that Rachel is already laying and Monica should start laying any day now. I haven't received any eggs yet from anyone and was wondering because of the new transition, when should I expect eggs? Also Rachel (RIR Australorpe) is very dominant and brave, phoebe the Easter egger doesn't come out of the coop a lot? Is this normal? The others will walk around the run and eat grass but phoebe keeps to herself. Is she just shy? & also on her bottom area there appears to be some poop. I can't tell if it's attached or just smeared on her bottom feathers. I hope to make some good chicken friends on here . Thanks for reading and thanks for any advice!!
 
Hi :welcome

Glad you could join the flock! Congrats on your new hens :celebrate I'm sure you will enjoy your new chicken adventures very much. Often a move to a new home can disrupt there egg laying untill they feel fully settled. It could be days or it could be weeks untill they lay. Each hen is individual and will lay when they are ready. Just keep an eye on them to make sure they are eating and drinking well and are fine in themselves. Is phoebe roosting on a perch or does she go in the nest box on a night? Often they can get a poopy bottom if they don't roost correctly. I would suggest picking her up and having a good look to see what is happening. She my have vent gleet that needs cleaning up or she may need some feathers trimming if the poop is catching on them when she goes.
Here is an article on vent gleet ~
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/vent-gleet-aka-nasty-chicken-butt


Good luck with your new ladies and I hope you have some eggs really soon.

Enjoy BYC and all the chicken chat :frow
 
Thanks for the advice! I will go and see if I can wipe some of the poop off her feathers and take a look. She mainly lays on the ground. I don't really see her perch too much. At night I lock them up in the coop and Rachel is making a bad habit of sleeping in the nesting box! That's my next mission is to stop that behavior. The roost right about the litter tray might be to low and that's how she's getting dirty. It's a store bought coop
 
Also one of my hens seems to be sneezing? If that's what that noise is. I've looked closely and she does not have a runny nose or eye discharge. Is she just sneezing ? Or could this be a beginning of something
 

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