Flock suddenly stopped laying- not molting

[lemurchaser]

Would rats bother adult large fowl chickens???? I know there are rats around. There is an abandoned house a few doors down and the rat problem stems from there. I found rat droppings in the nest box for the first time a few weeks ago. There is rat poison out in the shed now (safely away from all the animals- except the rats). And I've blocked the spot where I think the rat was getting in, but that could be the problem.

 

[Mrs. K]

I know you have looked, but whenever, mine all have just stopped laying, all at once, it has always been a secret nest.

However, the really cold weather, really slowed the egg production down, and many days I would only get one egg, and one or two days no eggs, but once it warmed up again, the eggs came back.

Maybe those rats are eating your eggs, or something else? I have heard of a snake, but wrong time of year for them. What about a skunk or possum?