They do like to hide, and I bet it will help them. Anytime you make a change it can disrupt the laying a day or so.Id get the higher protein feed for your birds. Once they settle in, you will probably be able to tell what you have!
I moved my birds outside last week and I were getting eggs at first, but now they have stopped laying. I'm assuming it's because they are getting less light, but I moved them into a spacious coop yesterday and couldn't help but notice how easy they were to catch and how much I could feel their keels :-/
Will they settle in eventually? I'm hoping locking them up in a warm, dry coop for the night will help them feel more secure. I had a hutch/run before where they stayed out at night...