Will moving hens make them stop laying?

[Ariel301]

I was planning on ordering some chicks from a hatchery in a few months and raising them, but yesterday I saw an ad on craigslist about some chickens for sale...I called the number and found out a lady here is getting rid of the last of her mixed breed Easter Eggers at $3 apiece since she's sick of just watching the coyotes dig under her fences and eat them. I'm going to go pick up the last few left tomorrow, four hens and a rooster! She says some of them are half banty, so they are small, but they lay good, and the eggs are blue and green, and that's what counts for me!

I've never bought adult hens already laying, just chicks. Will moving the hens to a new home possibly make them stop laying for a while, or should they just keep going like normal?

 

[Up-the-Creek]

From my experience they will either stop all together or slow way down. When they get comfortable in their new surroundings they will pick back up. Good luck!

 

[Mourningdove]

I have heard that by moving hens who are laying may stop for a few days once moved, this is normal. Once they are adjusted to you and your place they will go back to laying!

 

[Jonathanq1]

They have all stopped for me, then picked back up a couple weeks later.

 

[loralei]

Please quarantine them before adding them to your flock. I've just read so many horror stories. I want your story to have a happy ending with lots-o pretty colored eggs!

Laura

 

[lavacaw]

Actually, my EE laid for a few days and then quit. It was several weeks before she started laying again but then I got an egg a day. Good luck with your new birds!

 

[leliadax]

Lol nope! Hatching eggs was not on my want-to-do-list!!! I wanted these girls for egg color BUT... I was reading several places online about them and egg color and it was in one article that they can still produce fertile eggs for a few days after being removed from a rooster...well I have an empty incubator and decided when they drop a few eggs I would just try it to see if if it were true lol and for how long it could possibly go...just so i could know (curiosity got me by the leg!)!
As far as age, he said were this years hens and i can believe it for 2 of them although i didnt believe those 2 were old enough to lay yet but i wanted them anyway. The other 2 look like last years hens, a bit rough looking, honestly more so that I would have liked and I did expect eggs from them but it's been 4 days and still nothing but it may just be too soon idk. Thank you for your reply, I appreciate all info I gather!

 

[Harrietsmum]

My neighbor has just bought a new barred rock pullet. Roxy laid an egg in the car on the two hour drive home, and has carried on laying every day. Guess it depends on the temperament of the bird.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

I brought home 2 Black sex link hens, that had stopped laying due to stress (dog attacked & killed Flock mates). They weren't here 3 days and were laying for me.

 

[jennymay]

This is my experience too. We have just rescued 2 chickens (don't have any others) and they have stopped laying. We're patiently waiting. One hen is happy as a lark, one won't come out of the coop into the pen. Any ideas there?