I have 4 large hens. All 4 of them were laying until about a week ago. Then, they all stopped. They have free range of oyster shell and eat layer mash, vegetables and fresh fruit. They all started sneezing fo two days ago I put them on tetramyacin (sp?) and they seem to be doing better. I also have noticed that two of the 4 hens have lost the feathers from the tip of their tail to the back of their neck. It is only two and doesn't look like a molt to me. I bought some tea tree oil , mixed it with water, and have been spraying it on their back daily for about 5 days. I do not see any improvement with this solution. I am so new to this and any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time.
On the pecking, go to Index, FAQ, then scroll down for links to some good threads on this. The sneezing could be anything from irritation from dust to a serious respiratory disease. This link will give you a lot of information on respiratory diseases: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=15239 Most any kind of stress can stop laying, as will a moult. Perhaps if you can solve the pecking problem, this will also solve the laying problem.
