Re-post; New birds not laying, disturbing quote from previous owner.

[Hatrick]

I posted about this last week I think but I can't find the original thread for the life of me so...

We added five new 17 month old Rhode Island's to our flock almost two weeks ago. Two of them laid eggs under a random chair in the barn the first day they were here and since then...NOTHING! Nothing from nobody in the new batch.

These birds were in rough shape when we got them, some are missing feathers and there appears to be something wrong with their beaks...if their beaks were trimmed, what would it look like?

So I contacted the previous owner just to kind of find out what their laying habits were previously because she said they were laying daily at her place and this is what she said,
"I had them in cages...layer cages, with roller racks for the eggs to fall into...that is a big change for them...and they will eat there eggs if they can get to them...give me a call and we can talk about how to put them back into cages if you want eggs..."

Um...I have no intention of caging these birds. Our girls free range on three acres and I was happy that I was "saving" these girls from cage life but the reason we got them was for more eggs. They're eating me out of 11 lbs. of layer mash every three days, they need to earn their keep!

I need to know what to do? Are they laying eggs somewhere else and then eating them? I haven't found any in the barn or in any of the usual hang out spots. What do I do?!

 

[canesisters]

Do you have a coop for them? I would suggest that they spend a week in the coop so that you can monitor them more closely and find out what's going on. Since they used to be caged, maybe that will also help a little with their stresss - little cage to bigger enclosure to free.
Or even if you could pen them up somehow just for a week or so to see exactly what they're up to.
jmho

 

[sourland]

If their beaks have been trimmed, the upper beak will be shorter than the lower. Egg eating is a learned habit, and since cage birds have little access to their eggs, I doubt that they are egg eaters. It is absolutely normal for hens to stop laying after a change in environment. The two eggs that you initially got were already in the 'production line'. Chickens hate change. Your new hens will take a break, may even go through a molt and then they will resume laying.

 

[Hatrick]

Ok, but how long should I expect them to take to adjust? And they're beaks have definitely been trimmed...that makes me sad! Do they grow back? How does this affect them long term? I don't really think that there's any way I can contain them, do you think if I don't contain them and just wait it out that they'll eventually start laying?

 

[sourland]

No, their beaks will not grow back. Sadly enough it is permanent. It may impact their ability to eat; therefore, 'deep' pans of feed may be needed. The break from laying may be anywhere from several weeks to several months. These birds have a lot to adjust to - new home, new environment (cage free), the radical temperatures most are facing, etc. Realistically it may be several months before they start laying again.

 

[Hatrick]

Wow, ok. Well that's fine, I'm glad they're here rolling around in the dirt and discovering bugs. They seem happy. I just thought we had been duped into buying much older birds that weren't laying anymore. If they'll lay eventually that's all that matters. Thanks!

 

[sourland]

Well, the purchase of older birds still remains as a possibility.

If purchased from a production facility, there was a reason they were being sold.

 

[somadlyinlove]

I adopted 2 older hens from someone that didn't have the money for feed. He said they weren't laying anymore. They were terrified when I got them, but after a week and a half of all the food they could eat they started laying everyday. They turned into very sweet girls. The former owner was probably just sadly misinformed that beaks should be trimmed, hens eat eggs, ect...In my experience hens usually get in the habit of eating eggs when they don't get enough food. ( not always but usually) Give them lots of good feed and treats to make them feel good again, and you may see some eggs in a week or so.