AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Hi All
I’m new to the forum and keeping chooks in general. This is my chook story and my first question.
In January we were given a few chooks by a work friend who was moving overseas, we took them on at the last minute when the home they had organised fell through. There were three chooks two reds and a black, we didn’t get any history with them apart from the fact that one was old and not long for this world. True to this she died in her hutch a week after we got them. We decided that if you have 2 you may as well have 4 so picked up a couple of sexed week olds from the market. They have now grown up and are a red and a black just like the other two (both laid their first eggs on the same day last week). Now my question. The black chook we adopted laid about six eggs at random intervals from two to five days when we first got her , the eggs were white and odd sizes from a few cm long to about a normal 50 gram egg (but most were smallish). She stopped laying late January and went into a huge moult, now she looks but still no eggs. Is this normal or is there something wrong with her? The red chook that came with her averages about 6 eggs a week.
Cheers
James

Hi there and welcome to the forum

It could be a couple of things, one being that its not long after she has moulted and alot of hens won't lay now until winter time, it takes alot out of a hen to lay then moult and she may just be off the lay for another month or so. She may be at the end of her laying life too, saying that she has layed some rather different sized eggs. I'd give her another month and see how things go. Offer plenty of shell grit for her calcium and good layer pellets or mash and lots of greens.