news hens not laying yet

[randadell]

I recently purchase 5 hens from a friend. How long will it take them to acclimate to their new home and recover from the stress of moving before they begin laying? My 7 year old daughter is so disappointed that she hasn't found an egg yet even though I have told her the chickens are still adjusting. It has only been 3 days, but I wanted to try and give her a better idea of when the girls might produce. The breeds are wyandotte, Orpington, Australorpe. Thanks so much!

 

[wastintime202]

How old are the new hens? They will adjust quickly and your daughter will be so happy to get that first egg..Patience.

 

[Happy Chooks]

About a week unless they are stressed enough that they go into a molt. How are their feathers? Do they look raggedy or nice and filled out? Were they laying before they came to you?

 

[randadell]

They are all between one and two years old. They all have very pretty smooth feathers except for one Wyandotte which was often picked on on the larger flock at their last home. She only has a few tail feathers left. She also seems to be quite timid and obviously lower in the pecking order here as well. No one here has been mean to her yet that I have seen. Otherwise they are all eating and drinking well.

 

[Chicken Slave]

The wyandotte may not lay well until her feathers grow back. I have an Americana that got attacked by a red tail hawk, then our huge malamute when she escaped the pen while he was out. Took her a month or so to recover. The rest might take a week or so if they are all healthy otherwise. Mites and internal parasites will sap nutrition and energy hens need to lay. Learned this the hard way on my first go. Just keep them well fed and watered and they will come around. Give the little wyandotte some time though.

 

[ECBW]

There are many factors that could be culprits.

This is what I can say for sure... If you see the combs are or getting full, plump and red, eggs are imminent. This is easy with Australorp and Orpingtons but harder with Wyandotte due to small comb.

 

[randadell]

Thanks everyone!

 

[randadell]

The combs change daily prior to egg production,?

 

[randadell]

Im happy to report that in less then 2 weeks time the girls seem to finally be producing. They were very sporadic, never finding more then 1-2 eggs from the 5 of them in one day. Today we found 4!