Not getting any eggs!!! :-(

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from Ohio!

Let the girls settle in, get used to their new surroundings and routine. Chickens don't like change, it can take awhile.
 
That seems to be the common synopsis but the other 3 we got later have already given us 3 eggs! I am really beginning to wonder if these hens are a lot older than what we were told.....
 
Ok great......now I am adding a new problem to the already existing "no eggs"! I have noticed all week long the constant pile up of feathers from my 4 girls in the hen house. I go to check on them today and notice that all of them are missing feathers around their necks. So on top of not getting any eggs from them, now they are loosing their feathers! Is this what they call "molting"and could this be the reason we have only gotten 1 egg between the 4 of them is 2 weeks? They are acting fine other than loosing the feathers. They are eating, drinking, talking, and doing all the right chicken things, just not laying eggs. I bought these girls from a flock swap on April 7th. The guy told me they were 8-10 months old. But like I said earlier, we have only gotten 1 egg between the 4 of them in the almost 2 weeks we have had them. Any advice? Thanks!
 
Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan :D

Stress can send birds into a molt. The combination of stress from the move and possibly the low-protein food may have been triggers for it. Don't worry, they will start laying again after they compl:/ete their molt.

You may want to check them carefully for mites and lice.
 
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Thanks for the advice. Can you tell me how long the "molting" process takes?
 
It depends on the hens. Good moulters drop their feathers very quickly, often looking like extremely ratty feather dusters. Birds that loose fewer feathers at a time take longer to molt. Generally out takes several (3-4) weeks. Make sure they get plenty of protein in their diet, feathers are almost 100% protein.
 

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