I'll try to include a timeline, only because I wonder if any of these events contributed.
I have 5 hens, all 2.5 years old (plymouth rock, rhode island, buff orpington, easter egger, black sexlink). I was usually getting 3 to 4 eggs per day. In spring, we added three new chicks to the flock. They were separated, but could see each other. Two chicks ended up being roosters, we kept one and rehomed the other. The third was a little bantam hen. The five original gals layed throughout. The bantam was killed by a racoon (at night when the others were in bed.............they'd only been blended about 2 days and the bantam didn't go into the coop). They still layed. The rooster started getting too rough with them late summer (they were still laying) and after he tore the comb on my buff, we rehomed him.
Then all four decided to molt at one time and egg production completely stopped. They are all re-feathered now (have been for about 7 weeks). I still only get one egg a day from the sexlink (the one that didn't molt). They're all healthy, no worms, no disease that I can see. They behave like they've always behaved, happy and active. Plenty of grit, no change in food, plenty of oyster shell, plenty of fresh water. Nobody is egg bound.
We did get more chicks, again separated but they can see each other. However, the laying had stopped before the new girls were added outside.
Any ideas? We've given them some diatomaceous earth in case there is a worm issue, otherwise I'm at a loss. They all lost their boyfriend, molted and that was it!
I have 5 hens, all 2.5 years old (plymouth rock, rhode island, buff orpington, easter egger, black sexlink). I was usually getting 3 to 4 eggs per day. In spring, we added three new chicks to the flock. They were separated, but could see each other. Two chicks ended up being roosters, we kept one and rehomed the other. The third was a little bantam hen. The five original gals layed throughout. The bantam was killed by a racoon (at night when the others were in bed.............they'd only been blended about 2 days and the bantam didn't go into the coop). They still layed. The rooster started getting too rough with them late summer (they were still laying) and after he tore the comb on my buff, we rehomed him.
Then all four decided to molt at one time and egg production completely stopped. They are all re-feathered now (have been for about 7 weeks). I still only get one egg a day from the sexlink (the one that didn't molt). They're all healthy, no worms, no disease that I can see. They behave like they've always behaved, happy and active. Plenty of grit, no change in food, plenty of oyster shell, plenty of fresh water. Nobody is egg bound.
We did get more chicks, again separated but they can see each other. However, the laying had stopped before the new girls were added outside.
Any ideas? We've given them some diatomaceous earth in case there is a worm issue, otherwise I'm at a loss. They all lost their boyfriend, molted and that was it!
