Hens stopped laying with new pullets?

[heather134]

We have six adult hens and just added four pullets to the flock. Soon after the weather warmed here the hens' egg production had just started to improve and now we're back to nothing. We were getting a dozen eggs a week for about three consecutive weeks, then suddenly it stopped around the time we introduced the pullets.

As back story, the hens are probably between four and seven. Inherited them so not completely positive. Last year when we had ten hens we had great egg production starting in March when the weather began to warm. There was one day we even got nine eggs, but usually got five to six a day. Then they started molting around August and suddenly we were lucky to get half a dozen each week. We got practically none through the winter (I actually had to buy eggs) so I was very happy last month when we had eggs again. And now back to a goose egg (and I'd rather have a hen egg)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

When you introduce new birds to a flock it can cause enough stress to cause a halt in egg production. They will resume when they feel more comfortable about their new situation.

 

[heather134]

Thanks - Can't wait for the new girls to start laying!

 

[aart]

Do you free range?
it's possible that the older birds are laying out in the range area because of the new intruder in the flock.

 

[heather134]

They're allowed to free range during the day, but because of hawks I'm almost always out there with them, and not many hiding places. There are two spots under bushes where they have laid eggs before but checked those.