I think they'll start laying again....maybe?

[aidensmomma]

I recently added 15 new babies to my flock...Original flock was 10 ladies...then I lost 5 in one day which was super sad So I added the new ones, and lost 3. After the guilty party finally left evidence I fixed the coop issues and haven't lost anymore. I ordered pullets and one turned out to be a roo. Which I'm fine with because my big girls stopped laying with all this drama going on and I figure that once my lil' Roo comes into his own, he will get them all to start laying...do you agree? Do hens only molt when they are stressed? Or do they molt on a regular basis? One of my girls pretty much grew a complete set of new feathers. I appreciate any help.

 

[sourland]

You have several things working against egg production: the predation, addition of new birds, shortened day length and the molt. Yes they will recover and lay again, but a drop off in egg production is normal this time of year without added environmental factors. Although he's a great addition to your flock, the rooster will have no impact on egg production.