Not Laying - Getting Worried....

[FLR]

Hi everyone,
Newbie here and I need help! I have tried searching for an answer and I can't seem to find anything that helps...

Here is my story -
I purchased 2 chickens from a woman who was losing her home due to the foreclosure crisis (she had a lot of chickens I only took 2). Was told they were 1.5 years old, very healthy and good layers. They have been at our house for 9 day's and I got 1 egg from them. They seem to be acting normal and are eating. I feed lay pellets with water to make it mushy, Lay pellets (dry), oyster shells, Lettuce, gave them a few strawberries, and throw some lay pellets out in the pasture for them to scratch around for. What am I doing wrong??? Could they be sick and not showing signs (or am I missing signs?)? Am I not feeding them correctly? AUGH!! I hate not knowing !!

Any help for this newbie is appreciated

 

[Josie]

Welcome!
Sometimes hens will stop laying when moved to a new home. Wait a bit.

 

[Katy]

You don't have to add water to the layer pellets....they'll eat them fine dry and you don't have to worry about them spoiling. Like Josie said a move will upset them and it just takes time for them to start laying again.

 

[FLR]

Thank You!!! Thank you!!!

I was adding water because that is what the woman was doing - I was trying to give the poor girls some sense of normalcy...

Is there a point where I should become worried?

 

[SeaChick]

It took our adopted hen about 2-3 weeks to start laying after the move. Give it time! (I also think that if the previous owner was making mash for them, it';s good that you continue to do so for a while as well... you can probably wean them off it after a bit once they're settled in, if you don't want to do it all the time.)

 

[Happy Chicken Mama]

Are they in a coop???

If not then maybe they are finding some nook or Cranny to lay in. Last week I thought my girls were taking some time off until I found that they were laying underneath the lawnmower!

Give them time... Good luck! Yeah Chickens!

 

[mmajw]

Make sure they have a coop to lay in where they have laying houses or boxes and eventually they will lay. Transition can upset them like it can anyone.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Do you know what breed they are? Are they dual purpose or layers?

Some ornamental breeds do not lay very well.

I think it is the transition to your place that has them all mixed up as well, but I want to eliminate all possibilites.

-Kim

 

[FLR]

I believe one is a Buff Orpington and the other is a Welsummer. I took the mash out but I will put some out today for them again. I gave them some strawberries this AM and they were happy about that.

They are in a horse stall in our barn (with access to a pasture during the day) not really a coop. They have 1 lay boxes in with them (under the feeder). I also turned the feeder box into an area for them to hang out in (the one egg I got was in there). There is also a perch area (old branch) for them to roost on. It isn't a super fancy area - but it is clean and large.

 

[Redfeathers]

Sounds like you are doing everything right. They will lay for you, it's hard to wait though.