How to help new chickens adjust and feel at ease in their new home?

Thanks for reaching out about your keets. It is recommended you allow them time to acclimate to their new home. This doesn't mean your shouldn't interact with them, but only if they are willing. Keep a good routine of waking in the morning, offering food/water, cleaning, bedtime, etc. Stress (new home) raises corticol levels which can cause feathers to fall out easier (just like our hair) but stress can also induce them to pull their feathers out (like us biting out fingernails). Some diseases can also cause feather loss and excessive grooming, so if persists, a veterinary visit is recommended. Take it slow. Good luck.

If you just added in new birds it's likely stressing your hen a bit which can disrupt laying. I would give her at least a week or two before I worry about the fact that she is not laying eggs regularly. Making sure she is on a balanced layer feed along with being given plenty of fresh water and enough nesting space (usually 2-3 birds MAX per nest box) can also help ensure she feels comfortable enough to lay. Another possibility is that she is still laying but has moved her nest to somewhere else, especially if she is free-ranged. Searching for a hidden nest, and if found, keeping her cooped for a few days may help encourage her to begin using the nesting box again.

Thanks for your question, and it sounds like you have quite the situation going on. With that severe of a drop in egg production, I would be concerned about severe stress, nutritional deficiency, or some kind of an environmental issue. I would recommend evaluating the husbandry to see if everything is ideal. If you have had any changes in diet, with a focus on a lack of calcium, that can cause a drop in egg production for many birds. Also, if you have had any stressful events, that also can cause a short term drop in egg production. From what I can find, the stress pack should not be harmful to your chickens, but ensure that adding it to their routine doesn't cause them to not want to ingest the food/water that it is added to. I hope that gives you a place to start, and that the egg production starts to turn around very soon.

Offering extra food for both hens may encourage your hen to peck at her own food. If they're fighting to the point of pulling feathers, removing the dominant hen for a short bit and then reintroducing them may also help.

Thanks for reaching out about Coco & Peach. Winning the trust of your birds will take time. Start with quiet deliberate movements, and offering treats via hand. Since many birds can be cage defensive, you might have to allow them to come out of the cage, for them to be less protective. Take the time, as trust can take some time. Good luck.

The squawking and knocking stuff over is normal, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. It's best to get bowls that can be fixed into position to prevent this. It generally takes them 2-3 weeks to start getting comfortable in a new environment. It's definitely good to interact with them and get close to get them (putting your arm in the cage is good) more familiar with you. Offering treats is always a good way to make friends. Eventually they will come up to your hand and may perch there, but don't be surprised if it takes a month or so. I hope that helps and all is well with your new Budgies.

Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear that Honey is having some trouble adjusting to her new home. Hopefully you brought with you a few familiar items with you from Honey's previous home, like a blanket or bed. Make sure she has access to that. Offer her plenty of cuddles and attention. Offer her usual food and treats from your hand, to help gain her trust. If Honey is used to a crate, make sure you use a similar one in your home. Place her bed in there and she should quickly be drawn to it as a place of comfort and safety. I'd also look into a product called Adaptil, which is a canine pheromone that can help reduce stress and anxiety in new environments. Give it time. It is a difficult phase for Honey right now, but she should gradually get used to her new home and learn to love her new family, if you are patient, consistent, and offer her a nurturing loving home! Best of luck!