How long does it take hens to settle?

[dodgers89]

We have just got my first hens (I'm very excited!) We have 3 hisex (which I presume are some kind of hybrid?) and 1 welsummer. We got them yesterday and I appreciate it takes them time to settle into a new home and environment. I was just wondering roughly how long we can expect to wait before they resume laying? We were told they're very good layers so we're excited to have some fresh eggs

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Mmm, depends.

Give yours a week I would suggest to let them settle: you'll be able to see if they are coming into lay by the colour of their combs, they'll be bright red. But do bear in mind that at this time of the year your hens won't be at their most productive, egg-wise. But panic not as they WILL lay at some stage in the future! you may just need to be patient for a while until they settle into their pattern again.

The most difficult hens to settle are the ex-battery ones: we had some and they had no idea how to roost up into a house at night - and didn't have the muscles to be able to do it, the poor things were very wasted and it took about three months if my memory is correct for them to learn how to go up at night; tho' they were laying eggs almost immediately.

It depends.

 

[dodgers89]

Thanks for your reply We have had two eggs this evening! Well, we had three but one was really soft shell and broke. I'm assuming it's lack of protein that cases squidgy shells? Also, the hen laid it while on the roosting perch and the other two were on the floor and not in the nesting boxes. Have you got any tips to encourage them to use the boxes?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

You may need to feed a supplement to sort out the soft shells, plus are you feeding them grit and oyster shells? They will need the grit for their crops, to digest food - and the oyster shells to replace the depleted calcium when they're laying. I normally just add a teaspoon of the two mixed together to their feed, easier that way.

 

[Honey08]

They will usually work out the nesting boxes within a couple of days and settle down, ours always do. We just leave a pot of grit and oyster shell out for them and they take what they need.

We've had six sets of ex-battery hens now (six a year) and have always found them easy to settle in. They're a bit shy of the others for a few weeks and stay at the bottom of the pecking order, but generally are fine. They do like to sleep in the nesting boxes though, even after years out of the cages some of them still huddle up en mass in a box at night, it seems to be something they got used to in the cages perhaps.

 

[dodgers89]

Thanks for the replies They have started laying now, but always in the same box which results in cracked and sometimes broken eggs. I have put in some dummy eggs, does that method usually work? Also, my hybrids are laying fine but Penelope my Welsummer has only laid one egg. I know that hybrids are bred to lay more eggs than other hens but I would have hoped for more than the one egg from Penelope since we got her a week ago. Any suggestions/ideas welcome!

 

[*hic*]

What have you got in your next boxes - you need to line them with straw or something to cushion the eggs. I can pick six or eight eggs out of one nest box with no cracked ones. Are you feeding them the oystershell now? That may make a difference.