One in five not laying?

[Michelle Lisenbee]

I am new to chicken keeping. We adopted a flock of five hens (along with their mobile coop!) from a friend who was moving and couldn't take them with her. There are two Red Stars, two white Silkies and one Polish (black with white crest). We have had them just over three weeks. My friend was feeding them layer feed mixed (about half and half) with cracked corn as well as table scraps (I don't know how often). They kept the coop in one spot in their yard, but did allow them out to free range in their enclosed yard a few times a week. She did tell me that she thought they might be calcium deficient since their eggshells were thin. According to her, the Reds laid about 5 eggs a week average, and the Silkies and Polish "hardly ever".

When we brought them home, I immediately got them some oyster shell and placed a bowlful in the run. I know they spill some, but in the three weeks we've had them, they have already gone through quite a bit. I also bought more feed and added it to the mixed feed so they are getting less cracked corn and more pellets. I do not plan to continue mixing the feed. We move the coop every day or every other day so they continually have access to fresh ground. We have also jury rigged a larger enclosure and let them out a few times a week to forage under our supervision. (We are planning to build a hoop run for them, but for now we're using the cattle panels like fencing to keep them enclosed). We also feed them kitchen scraps (mostly greens, vegetable ends, fruit gone soft, etc) almost every day.

In just three weeks, the Reds are now laying pretty much daily. Initially the Silkies hardly laid, then we started getting one egg every day. For the past four days, they have EACH laid an egg a day! So now four of the five hens are laying pretty much daily, but the Polish had not laid a single egg. The previous owner says she hardly ever laid for them either, but I'm wondering what could be up with her? She seems healthy, bright eyed, active, eating and drinking. She is at the bottom of the pecking order, though. Do you think this has anything to do with it? Is there anything else I should be/could be doing? Have any of you had one hen in a small flock that just never lays despite good conditions an the rest of the flock laying?

 

[Pork Pie]

I've had poor layers (for their breed) in the past. They go to the crock pot.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!
Excellent post!
It's rare I don't have more questions,
but you provided all pertinent info.

Good moves on the food and housing changes.
I think you're just going to have to be patient.
The polish might come around....or not.
We all have 'those' birds that are just not great layers.
Hard for them to shine next to the sexlinks(red stars are just one type of high production hybrid cross).

 

[aart]

Another thought...are you positive she is not laying, might her eggs be similar in appearance to one of the other layers?

One way to know for sure is to examine their nethers:
Examine all birds, or at least a few, for comparison.
Vent Appearance:
Dry, tight, and smaller - usually not laying.
Moist, wide, and larger - usually laying.

Pelvic Points, feel for the 2 bony points(pelvic bones F-F) on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.
(Spacing is relative with chickens size and humans finger size.)

 

[cmom]

Some birds take longer to adjust to a new place than others do. I had a similar case some years ago when someone brought some birds over to me because they knew I had chickens and they couldn't keep them anymore. It was at least a month before some started laying. I think you are doing the right thing. Good luck and have fun...