Will moving hens make them stop laying?

[Ariel301]

This is the start of our flock, so no need for quarantine. It's good advice though, I always quarantine new animals before adding them to an existing collection! You just never know. I even change clothes and shoes and take a shower if I handled a friend's goats, so I won't accidentally pass anything on to my own.

Well, we've had the chickens for three days now and no eggs, but they are obviously stressed out. I found out from their previous owner that they were already out of sorts because of a lot of recent coyote attacks...they're just huddling in a corner of their new pen and only come out for a quick dash to the water, then run back into the corner. They won't even come out for food, so I keep throwing a handful at a time into their corner while leaving the main dish just out of their comfort zone, to encourage them to come out. They are so nervous! Any time something moves outside the fence, they back further into the corner and the rooster starts growling! I haven't even heard him crow once yet.

 

[leliadax]

I bought 4 hens (who had been laying) yesterday afternoon, not 1 laid today.
Now I'm under the impression hens store sperm, they had been penned up with a huge flock with roosters, if they lay later in the week do you reckon the eggs will be still be fertile? I do not have them with a rooster now and dont plan to for a while. Thanks

 

[aart]

I bought 4 hens (who had been laying) yesterday afternoon, not 1 laid today.
Now I'm under the impression hens store sperm, they had been penned up with a huge flock with roosters, if they lay later in the week do you reckon the eggs will be still be fertile? I do not have them with a rooster now and dont plan to for a while. Thanks

It's possible.
Moving them might put them off laying for a good while.
Moving stress and time of year(molting time is nigh) you may not see many eggs until after solstice when the days start getting longer again.
You might get a some, that were 'in process' before moving them, but after that it's crap shoot.
Was your main goal to hatch eggs from these hens?
How old are they, in months?

 

[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!

 

[Jt and Chicks]

My chickens never stoped laying they broke out of their pen to go lay eggs on their old pen only one chicken did that. They all layed though. I think it depends on the chickens

 

[aart]

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

It's true, up to 3-4 weeks, but best within 10 days.
Look at yolks when breaking to eat....or stick a few in the bator!