New hens not laying

[Newchickadee30]

I acquired some new hens from my local Hutterite colony.
They are year old Babcocks.
I picked them up in the evening. By morning I had 15 eggs from 20 birds.
Very drastically we are now down to 2-3 eggs a day. It’s been 3 weeks.
I was fully aware I was getting year old birds that have lived in indoor cages their whole lives.
They don’t know to roost or to lay in nest boxes yet and they are rather rough looking with lack of feathers. Again, I was aware what I was getting and not casting judgement on the Hutterites.
Would you think the lack of egg laying is due to stress of now living in a coop and living the life of a normal chicken? I imagine their lives are total shock right now.
I have added black sunflower seeds and cracked corn to their layer pellet feed. I was almost wondering if I should give them some grower pellets?

 

[nuthatched]

Grower pellets would be better than the seeds and corn, I'd cut those out. Chickens don't like change they won't lay until they feel safe.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I acquired some new hens from my local Hutterite colony.
They are year old Babcocks.
I picked them up in the evening. By morning I had 15 eggs from 20 birds.
Very drastically we are now down to 2-3 eggs a day. It’s been 3 weeks.
I was fully aware I was getting year old birds that have lived in indoor cages their whole lives.
They don’t know to roost or to lay in nest boxes yet and they are rather rough looking with lack of feathers. Again, I was aware what I was getting and not casting judgement on the Hutterites.
Would you think the lack of egg laying is due to stress of now living in a coop and living the life of a normal chicken? I imagine their lives are total shock right now.
I have added black sunflower seeds and cracked corn to their layer pellet feed. I was almost wondering if I should give them some grower pellets?

The first few nights the eggs would have already been in process of starting
This could be why you got such a great number first night
There could be a few factors
The change in feed from what they were eating to now what you feed
This can happen to birds that never leave their home just change in feed can take a bit to get use to
The other thing could be stress and adjusting
I would give the girls 2-3 weeks to settle and get use to the new feed
You should start to see more eggs

 

[Saveria]

If they were laying all winter you may be seeing them going into a dormancy. All my first years usually start in fall and lay through the winter then take a long break in the spring before picking up again. Do you know what month they were hatched?

 

[aart]

I was fully aware I was getting year old birds that have lived in indoor cages their whole lives.

Wonders if they used artificial lighting.