1y/o RIR hen hasn't laid in 6 weeks...

[kimberdougl5]

So here's my question...is this common and is she done laying already?!?
My RIR hen stopped laying pretty much 1 year to the date she started. She was my best egg-layer (compared to my Austrolorp and Sapphire Gem). Since I've only got the 3 hens, our breakfasts have gotten pretty slim.
Here's the skinny: the day we introduced our 2 newbie hens (RIR & Ameracauna) plus a rooster (we don't want, but it happens) she stopped laying. Obviously, we gave her a few mental health days...then weeks. It's HOT here (Florida), and our chicken friends say their hens have slowed down on egg production, but they haven't stopped all-together! 6 weeks in, my 2 newbies are 18 weeks old, so in the next month they'll start laying, and Chuck the rooster will be dinner. My RIR needs to figure it out. Has anyone had a 1yr old hen just be DONE laying?

 

[Whigru]

I had added a mature RIR to my flock of one hen earlier this year. The RIR I got (borrowed, actually) was a consistent layer up until the day we got her, but never laid one darn egg for us in the nearly two months we had her. Her previous owners said she was every 24-48hrs without fail. I assume the stress she went under when our hen started establishing dominance did something to pause her egg production. At the same time, my barred rock stopped laying and went broody, so she didn’t lay for several weeks, either. I wonder if the intro of your newbies had been enough stress to her system? Is there any feather loss to indicate molting? What about weird behavior to indicate broodiness? I hear ya though, 6 weeks makes it start to feel like maybe somethings up.

 

[kimberdougl5]

I had added a mature RIR to my flock of one hen earlier this year. The RIR I got (borrowed, actually) was a consistent layer up until the day we got her, but never laid one darn egg for us in the nearly two months we had her. Her previous owners said she was every 24-48hrs without fail. I assume the stress she went under when our hen started establishing dominance did something to pause her egg production. At the same time, my barred rock stopped laying and went broody, so she didn’t lay for several weeks, either. I wonder if the intro of your newbies had been enough stress to her system? Is there any feather loss to indicate molting? What about weird behavior to indicate broodiness? I hear ya though, 6 weeks makes it start to feel like maybe somethings up.

EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING else is NORMAL. She was, and still is, the "Head Hen", nothing has changed but the new chickens, and I'm still keeping them separated but under one roof. Chuck stays outside the coop and runs all day/every day, and goes in to roost at night with the newbies. Will a hen start back up with her laying after being off this long?!?

 

[kimberdougl5]

Whigru-
When you returned your borrowed hen, did she go back to laying?

 

[Whigru]

Whigru-
When you returned your borrowed hen, did she go back to laying?

You know, I never asked! I have often wondered.

 

[Pullet Press]

You know, I never asked! I have often wondered.

When you first got the hen, do you think that she stopped laying after the change? That's happens to me whenever I let them stay at someone's house.

 

[kimberdougl5]

A week and half later...still no egg. She is acting perfectly fine. Now, my Austrolorp is doing the same thing!!! 5 days, no eggs. I think these girls decided to go on strike until that rooster got GONE!
And he is...G.O.N.E.
We will see if that helps.