Hens have slowed down laying after I introduced new chickens.

[bbowen217]

I purchased 6 Rhode Island Reds that were almost a year old on Wednesday andI gathered 5 eggs from them in the first 24 hours. Thursday I bought 1 Rhode Island Red, 5 Golden comets that are about 2 years old, and a rooster. I gathered 4 eggs yesterday and only one this morning. Could they be stressed due to the young rooster being in there with them? Also I know that I got a bad deal getting the almost 2 year old Golden Comets but I was expecting to get at least 8 eggs a day out of all of them. Here is a picture of my coop. They have plenty of food and water at all times.

 

[sourland]

When hens are moved to a new environment, there is usually a cessation in egg production. The eggs received the first couple of days are those that were already in the reproductive tract. They will resume laying - your pen appears to be on the small side for 12 birds.

 

[bbowen217]

Yes I know it's on the small side. I am building a new coop so I can split them up. I want to figure out which ones lay and which ones dont. Could the rooster be causing stress to the hens? He is about 4 months old and when I put him in with my Reds they started pecking at his eyes and cone.

 

[sourland]

I seriously doubt that the cockerel is the problem. The stressors are new environment, new flockmates, not enough space, and possibly a change in type of feed.

 

[UrbanMamaHen]

I'd say you'll get lots of eggs from the RIRs, but not the golden comets. At two years old, they are past their laying prime. I had a production hen, a red sex-linked, she laid well for a year but stopped altogether after the second year.

 

[bbowen217]

I'd say you'll get lots of eggs from the RIRs, but not the golden comets.  At two years old, they are past their laying prime.  I had a production hen, a red sex-linked, she laid well for a year but stopped altogether after the second year.

That's what I was afraid of. I should've done a little more research on the Golden comets. Oh wellsometimes you learn the hard way.