I have a current flock of three 2-year-olds and three 22-week-old pullets. Two of the older hens have completely stopped laying - here's the timeline of events.
Start: full flock of seven 2-year-olds
3/30/14: dog attack, lost 4 of the 2-year-olds, leaving me with one Barred Rock, one Easter Egger, and one SL Wyandotte
3/31/14: BR stops laying (or may have stopped earlier - hard to tell as there were other BR's in original flock)
4/13/14: got three Red Star point-of-lay pullets
4/15/14: BR starts coughing, rales/labored breathing
4/16/14: SLW stops laying.
4/18/14: SLW starts coughing, but doesn't get as sick as Barred Rock.
4/22/14: 1st Red Star pullet starts laying. Easter Egger has an off week - 3 eggs instead of 5 - but doesn't seem sick.
[BR and SLW gradually get better and seem to be fully recovered, but do not return to laying]
5/19/14: 2nd Red Star pullet starts laying.
My questions: Why did the BR & SLW stop laying? Stress? Respiratory disease? Will they ever lay again? it's been over a month. What is the respiratory disease and did it come in with the new pullets? Why didn't the EE - who is best buds with the BR and would not leave her alone even when I tried to isolate her - get sick or stop laying?
It looks like my Red Stars and EE will be fine. But if there is a way to treat the BR and SLW or even bring them back into lay, I'd like to know what it is.
Thanks for any insight you more experienced flocksters maybe able to shed on this mystery.
Start: full flock of seven 2-year-olds
3/30/14: dog attack, lost 4 of the 2-year-olds, leaving me with one Barred Rock, one Easter Egger, and one SL Wyandotte
3/31/14: BR stops laying (or may have stopped earlier - hard to tell as there were other BR's in original flock)
4/13/14: got three Red Star point-of-lay pullets
4/15/14: BR starts coughing, rales/labored breathing
4/16/14: SLW stops laying.
4/18/14: SLW starts coughing, but doesn't get as sick as Barred Rock.
4/22/14: 1st Red Star pullet starts laying. Easter Egger has an off week - 3 eggs instead of 5 - but doesn't seem sick.
[BR and SLW gradually get better and seem to be fully recovered, but do not return to laying]
5/19/14: 2nd Red Star pullet starts laying.
My questions: Why did the BR & SLW stop laying? Stress? Respiratory disease? Will they ever lay again? it's been over a month. What is the respiratory disease and did it come in with the new pullets? Why didn't the EE - who is best buds with the BR and would not leave her alone even when I tried to isolate her - get sick or stop laying?
It looks like my Red Stars and EE will be fine. But if there is a way to treat the BR and SLW or even bring them back into lay, I'd like to know what it is.
Thanks for any insight you more experienced flocksters maybe able to shed on this mystery.
