[Asaunders]

i have had my battery hens well over 2 weeks now and there is still no signs of any eggs of them, i feed them on layers pellets and a handful of mixed corn every know and again, they look healthier and look happy in there run and pen but still no eggs

any advice greatful.

[Flowerpower136]

That's really strange, we got 8 eggs from 8 girls the first day they were here.  Though it does fluctuate, averaging 30+ eggs a week.

There is no guarantee that ex batts will lay.  Their reducing egg production is the reason the farm got rid of them.  But it would be very odd for all of your hens to be completely past laying.

Are you sure they are not laying under shrubs etc, or that someone or something might be getting to the eggs before you do?

[Asaunders]

they are still quite featherless would that have anythink to do with it? the only other place is in the big hedge in the corner but ive looked there and nothing they are still being bullied tho by my other hens

[karlooben]

how long have they been with the other girls for the bullying could be upsetting them ,also this time of the year they slow down while they are moulting as mine are doing . but be double sure you check everywhere and i mean everywhere i thought most of mine had stopped laying for over a month until a friends kid noticed an egg under the shed when we jacked it up we found 36 eggs  the shed was only 4 inches of the ground an about 3 inches away from the main fencing on one side .

[Rubellite]

I was advised to give mine ex-batt crumbs which doesn't have the ingredient that promotes laying. This was to ensure they put their energy into feathering up and getting strong rather than laying eggs daily.
If yours aren't laying, that's fine, poor girls need a rest. It's been a stressful time for them. They'll lay soon enough, no doubt. 

[AmandaH]

Yes, I feed mine the ex-batts crumbs too but the four of them produce 2 or 3 eggs a day between them.  However, when we first got them, they all laid an egg the first day (we were very surprised!) and then we nothing at all for over a week!

Perhaps they just need some more time to settle down, especially if you have other hens that they need to integrate with.

Also I was told that ex-batts don't always get on with pellets very well as they are used to mash and don't recognise pellets - which is why the crumbs are a happy medium.

[dizzylizzie]

Hi, first of all i'd like to say well done for taking ex-batts! . we have 6 ex-batts and have our name down for more.
Dont be too dispointed that they havent laid...remember these girls have come to you for their retirement....and well deserved it is too! You know by the state of them the kind of life they have had so far..they are going to need time to rest, get their energy back, feather up.....and get over the shock of a new home. However lovely it is it is still very new and scary for them, the will be seeing, hearing and tasting things that are new and strange. The rescue itself is hugly stressful for our girls....just give them loads of TLC, and watch them blossom......ours are starting to feather up nicely now, but they will slow down over winter, maybe even stop laying altogether. i am not going to put light in the coop because i want mine to stop laying over winter to give themselfs a really good well deserved rest. Remember also, the amount of eggs they are born with is the amount they lay...so if they lay everyday they will 'run out' quicker. Enjoy them and remember they are in retirement now, im sure by spring you will probably be getting an egg or 2, they will be back to health and you will be a happy chicken keeper

[AmandaH]

I agree dizzylizzie, the last thing I think anyone should do with ex-batts is try to get them to lay in the winter - give the poor girls a break!  (Not that Asaunders was suggesting that, nor am I thinking that he or she was!)

Mine seem quite happy scratching around the garden all day and laying in the sun - it's lovely to see.  Queenie's the boss and she takes no nonsense from anyone, Dolly is next in line and she rushes over to peck me, Elvis (I let my husband name one, only one, and this is what he chose, nothing to do with me) is a mealworm fiend and last, but not least, is poor old Mavis, the bottom of the pile but a real sweetie.  I love my girls more each day.  Even if they do poo on the patio  

[Asaunders]

I rehomed 10 x batts there brilliant just thou they would be laying by now! What would u recommend feeding them on?  And also at night when there locked up with the other hens I can hear them fighting and sometimes it sounds quite nasty, is it anything to worry about?

[oddpaws]

A friend of mine reckons he did an experiment between layers mash and pellets, he reckons mash won hands down for egg laying. I havent tried it so wouldnt know. As far as the fighting goes I am guessing you would know if it was too seriuos. I asume that there doesnt appear to be anyone who is coming off worse for it and there has been no bloodshed. Perhaps they are just squabbling for prime roosting spot.

[JEZZIE]

We have had 2 lots of x bats, we were told to keep them apart from the other hens for a least 6 weeks, so we put an extra run and coop within the exisitng  run for them, this way everyone got used to one another.  We do have a boss, but on the whole there has been no fighting.  They are not laying either, just the odd one occassionly.  Which is a bonus, the  yolk a lovely colour orange, when we first got them the yolk was almost white.  Dear dear girls.

[AmandaH]

Mine are fed the Smallholder Range of Ex-Bats Crumbs.  And they stuff it down like they'll never see food again.

They get a small handful of mixed corn (thrown on the lawn to give them something to forage for) late afternoon and hubby does the Let Them Eat Mealworms thing of an evening when he gets home (just a few each).

I do give them Keep Well pellets on their food every other day and they get the odd bit of veg (although at the moment they still look at it like I am mad and refuse to eat it).

And, apart from fresh water and whatever they find scratching the garden, that's it.  They seem to be doing OK on it...

[bexy]

I find mine to prefer their layers pellets mixed with water to moisten them in a dish,they go diving in for this and yet they have a dispenser of the same pellets 24/7

They have been laying from day one and not stopped!Somedays i get four eggs but mostly five eggs a day from five hens.

They also have other food (treats)each morning like a hung up cabbage,sweetcorn kernals from the freezer and thawd,banana,spagetti,i slice of wholemeal bread,potato peelings boiled...i only give them one or two of these items a day and that is after they have had a couple of hours run around in the garden eating insects worms snails etc.

Oh and i have just introduced them to cat food for protein,they didn't like it at first and still not crazy over it but they only get half a tin and it does seem to go.

[kitkat]

Hi , I think the bullying is upsetting them, cant you segregate each set for a couple of weeks so they can still see each other though?
   Are they getting food ad lib? Are the others stopping them eating?
 Also as you say they dont have many feathers it may be too much for them to grow them and lay as well.

[jackieb]

My first lot of girls rehomed in June didn't lay for about 2 weeks, then over the course of the next two weeks they all started to lay.  Rehomed 2 at the weekend and they are both laying every day.  To be honest I would rather they take a break and concentrate on getting themselves fit and well.  Lily lays wherever she stands but Daisy has got the hang of going into the nest box.