new to all this!!!!

[ratryn]

Hello - i have been a chicken owner for a whole week and I am already obsessed about my girls....
Just a quick question - we got our hens (4) from a friend who had too many - they are different ages... from about 2 years to a few months ( we are hoping she is a hen and not a cockerel)

basically we had one egg the first day but i think one of them must have been brewing that at their old home and then one egg three days later.... and now nothing.

Is it usual for chickens to stop laying all together for the winter? I wasn't expecting them to lay at all yet but since we had one i thought they might keep going.How long do they take to settle in to a new home?!
Don't mind because they are so therapeutic although I think my neighbours think i am mad because I talk to them so much!!!!! Would just like to know....


Kat

[Dave]

things will settle down
give it a week before you start
to get worried
they do slow down a bit as the daylight gets shorter


and welcome

[melons]

I'm no expert, but yes they will go off laying through the winter, some people who have ex battery hens (me included) don't find this though, as everything is out of kilter.
It is all determined by day light length & if they have started to moult, settling in shouldn't be a problem, so probably just nature doing it's thing.
Glad you finding them theraputic, you should be able to get them on the NHS, they've saved me many hours in a shrinks chair
Only kidding, you'll loose hours in a day just watching them.
Keep us posted.

[b_cos_1_can]

hey ratryn (kat)

welcome to the forum!

mel and dave have already said what i was going to, so no need for me to babble on, look forward to reading your messages!

greetings from another kat x

[AnnaB]

Hi ratryn
Welcome - I have had a similar problem in the past moving 2 different pairs to another coop. They soon pick up again - just be careful you haven't got an egg eater!
Anna

[Richard]

Hello there and welcome,

All above said really, a combination of the two; 1. Weather changing and 2. House changing.

I have hens of different ages, but don't know which! I'm afraid I don't have a clue which one's are and aren't laying. But if one wren't, she can grow old gracefully.

Good luck and be assured they will settle,

Richard

[ged]

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Hi There,
A warm welcome to you,enjoy your chook keeping.Dont worry!
atb
ged

[Mo]

Hi, welcome.
We were talking about winter egg laying on the Autumn thread down below, and somewhere else I think.
Answer seems to be 'it depends'