Hens mourning or dewormer interfering with production?

[Biscuit&Nugget]

Hi - this is my first time posting. I hope I'm in the right place. My four hens have been doing everything right for a year. Started laying at 6 months, averaging about an egg per hen per day. They even layed at the same rate throughout the winter. They coop up at night and are in a protected run at night. Recently, however, my daughter left the lock off the run, then hens wandered into the yard and the dog was let out on the same day. Two hens were killed. About a week after the incident, I added a dewormer to the food. The two survivor hens are not producing much at all. I thought someone was stealing eggs. Is it stress and do hens mourn? Or could it be the dewormer?

In memory of Biscuit and Nugget,
Erin

 

[Knittycat]

Chickens don't like change. They are probably missing the two hens in some fashion or another. But truth be told the issue isn't likely to be mourning as stress from the dog attack. Give them time and they'll either get back to normal, or moult on you and then you'll have to wait even longer. Good luck!

 

[GarlicEater]

Quote:
Mine don't trust me right now, I caught 6 of 'em yesterday, popped 'em into a cage, and walked off with the prisoners, and came back without them. I'm just not trustworthy. So the laying is down for a bit, I need to give them plenty of treats and and try to earn back *some* trust.

It's funny because moving them to the new, MUCH bigger, cage didn't hurt egg production at all.

 

[packmomma]

I would give it at least another week before I would decide. I havent wormed before but I do know when my chickens witness an attack and any are killed its a couple weeks before they lay.. Some lay sooner than others but the most any of mine have gone is two weeks. I believe they mourn and also have stress. Stress is egg production but mourning is different.. you can kinda tell they are sad.