[wooley1000]

Hello,
We have had 3 new sussex hybrid's hens. 1 puffed her feathers up after the first day and even with somer tlc she died. The other two are very active and very tame. The problem I have is that only one is laying and her egg is not hardening.
We feed them on pellet and they like bread as a treat as well.
They have ground grit with oyster shell. Fresh water every day. The coop is big enough for 6 birds & brand new.
They have about half an acre to forage around.
I have read about calcium loss but the feed is there for them unless you can get some remedy to give them some extra.

 Any one any ideas why only one is laying and the egg is'nt hardening?

[themagicaltoad1]

You haven't said how old they are? If they are young birds just starting to lay it's not uncommon to have a few softies until they really get into it, and they may not lay regularly for a while. The one that's not laying might just be a late starter but at this time of year a lot of them lay less or even stop altogether. Don't give them any treats for a while, just the pellets and oyster shell, the grit is to help digestion. Bread is not good for chooks it swells up in the crop.

[Fisherman]

Do you feed them greens on a regular basis as they are a good source of calcium which may help. Alternatively you could give them a supplement such as poultry spice or limestone flour however if they are young birds I would leave them to sort themselves out for a while. If the birds are moulting or coming into moult this can also cause a disruption to normal egg production.

[Doline33]

I think your hens are just a little young.
How old are they, how long are they at your  home ?

When i buy new hens (ready to lay, so about 8 months) , they never lay before 1 month.
It's normal, because of stress due to the changing environment.

You can give them some vitamins to put in drinking water, this should expedite the process of laying...

[wooley1000]

The birds are quit young and some more information today from another chicken owner has given the same answer that I have received from you all. Many thanks for you help.