How did my new pullets stop my old ones from laying??

[sevenbabychicks]

A month ago I bought three young pullets to add to my flock. I think they brought some pestilence with them because a few of my chickens have since gotten sick. I tried that vitamin/electrolyte powder and it worked wonders for them. Only a few actually got sick, and everyone seems to be feeling better now, but I'm still getting only 1-2 eggs a day from six 8 month-old pullets! Before I got the new chix, I was getting 5-6/day. Even my industrial-strength EE who was averaging an egg a day and who never even got sick suddenly stopped laying! What's going on??

 

[Chick Charm]

My guess is that indeed the old girls are battling thier immune system from something the new girls brought. I would keep putting apple cider vinegar in thier water for a while. Hope things turn out just like those egg layin ladies use to.

 

[sevenbabychicks]

Thanks for the advice! I actually have a bottle on hand. How much should I use?

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Even if none of them had gotten sick, just the upheaval in the flock from adding new chickens is enough stress to stop chickens from laying, temporarily.

I wish you luck with the disease problem. I don't know how much of a lingering issue you're going to have with it in the future or how much that's effecting their laying, depending on what they actually have.

 

[Judy]

I put a tablespoon of ACV in a gallon of water. Different people say different things. I doubt that it's critical how much you use.

Not in a metal (galvanized) waterer, though.