Relocated chickens, and not laying regularly...

[Marysa21088]

A friend of mine gave me 20 chickens after I bought my house (which came with a coop out back)....he has thousands upon thousands of chickens and was in the egg business. Since we moved them, they haven't been laying regularly. I've had them for about a month or so now. Someone told me it may be because they need to adjust....someone else said maybe I'm not feeding them enough. They are completely free range chickens now, whereas before they were crammed into little cages. I know a lot of people have feed out 24/7, but should I too for free range chickens?? Right now I feed them in the mornings, otherwise they roam around the yard eating whatever they find. My questions are: When should I be feeding them, if not in the mornings? Do I need to leave feed out all day, and do they just need time to adjust or do I need to do something different to get them to lay more often??

 

[HEChicken]

My guess is....they're laying all right! You said they free-range all day? Well, they have nests out in their free-range area and they're laying and filling up those nests. Keep them confined for a few days and you'll probably find you're getting lots of eggs.

 

[Marysa21088]

Yes, I leave the door to the coop open all day and they wander around part of my back yard. I have 20 hens and I only get 3-5 eggs a week total (not per hen either)...and sometimes not even that. They don't lay eggs anywhere besides in the coop.

 

[dainerra]

lol oh I would bet money that they have eggs hidden all over your yard. You would be amazed at the tiny spaces they can fit into.
Do you have a run attached to your coop? I'd lock them in for at least 2 or 3 days so that they have no choice but to lay in the coop. Once they get into the habit they will lay in the nests consistently. If you start missing eggs again, just lock them back in.

Also, yes you need to offer food 24/7. They will eat less if they are free rainging but it contains all the extra nutrients that they need. Make sure the feeder doesn't get damp and refill as they empty it.

 

[Marysa21088]

They stay fairly close to the coop, and aside from the coop there really isn't anything else in the back yard, but I will definetly check around the yard and everything again but I have never found any anywhere except inside the coop. I will also be sure to keep feed available 24/7. Thanks!

 

[HEChicken]

Oh okay, when you said they were free-ranging all day, I assumed you meant on some acreage with plenty of areas to hide nests.

Other possible causes for not laying:

• Stress. The stress of a move to a new place will cause a temporary cessation in laying. Depending on how long they have been at the new place, there may be some of them that are still in the adjustment phase and will resume laying when they have adapted
• Age. If they came from a farm with hundreds, they are probably production egg layers. These tend to "burn out" sooner than heritage birds, as they are bred to lay practically an egg a day for a couple of years, by which time they have run out of eggs. If this is the situation, there is nothing you can do
• Nutrition. If they are not getting enough of the correct nutrients, they won't be able to lay many eggs, as it takes a LOT to produce an egg with the frequency that hens do. If you are not already doing it, I would offer them layer feed, available at all times. You can also offer some oyster shell on the side. Although layer formula contains calcium, sometimes they need a little extra to produce egg shells.
• Molt. While molting they will stop laying for 6-8 weeks. This is an unusual time of year for a molt, but the stress of the move could have triggered a molt. Some hens will do a hard molt where they turn practically bald and look pathetic for awhile. Others you can barely tell are molting.
• Parasites. Whether internal or external, these will take their toll on the overall health of the bird. When a chicken is not at optimum health, the first thing that happens is she stops laying eggs so her body can focus on getting well. You could try worming and/or dusting with DE (diatomaceous earth).

This list is not exhaustive but gives you a few other things to consider.

 

[Marysa21088]

I have about 18 acres, but the chickens do not go on most of it because of fences and things like that. They wander around out in the back yard, and sometimes up by the house, but otherwise, they don't go anywhere else. I think they are just adjusting....I got 5 eggs yesterday, which is more than I have had in a single day in weeks. Thanks so much for all your help!!