Hey All, I had a major set back in the middle of June. A neighborhood dog got into my yard and killed 31 chickens. Literally the night before I had introduced 25 new layers that were just up to size. I have video surveillance and can see that in about 10 minutes the dog killed 31 birds even going into the hen house and ripping them out of their egg boxes... :-( This was 4.5 months ago. I have been patient with the remaining 30(ish) birds but have had maybe 5 eggs (total) since the attack. Anyone hear of it taking this long to get back on track? Will they ever lay again or should I start over? Couple of thoughts... It was the hottest time of year in Florida, so I know that could've played a role in loss of egg production but it has cooled off significantly since the heat of summer... We had a ton of rain a few weeks after the attack and a good portion of the bottom of their coop was underwater (for about a day while I fixed the drainage). Thanks
If the remaining birds are good laying breeds, I wouldn't start over. I think the stress of the move and the related trauma of the dog attack is the problem. I've had dog attacks that stopped ovulation for 2 months. One flock wouldn't leave the coop for a week. That combined with time of year has them slow starting up. If you make them feel secure and perhaps add a couple hours of light on a timer and they should kick in soon. It is the signal of increasing day length that stimulates them.
