Is it possible my hens will no longer lay due to neighbors noisy dogs and an attack by said dogs 5 months back?

[VistaCoop]

About 5 months ago our downhill neighbors adopted a couple of dogs (large breed). They turned out to be escape artists and before the owners finally curtailed them, they had escaped and wandered up my property while I was out. I mistakenly left my hens unattended (never again!) as I thought a quick walk around the hood would be ok (boy was I wrong). It appears one hen (my daughters fave no less) wandered farther away while the rest stayed behind and safe in the coop. The dogs (according to a neighbor who heard and watched from his window) cornered her. Bye Sunny.
So I've done the math in my head and it seems to me the other two hens stopped laying shortly after this attack, one stopping before the other. Now we've had no eggs for about 4 months. I thought maybe because temps cooling, but I didn't think our N. California East Bay weather was too cold for them. For example tonight it's 48 degrees out. We are in a fog belt as we are in the hills across from the S.F. bay, Zone 10a. They get calcium, laying pellets, grit. For treats I give dry meal worms, & black fly larvae (when available), and salad greens. I keep a clean coop and dust D.E. occasionally. They have ample hay in the roost , and on the ground floor.

Could my hens be scarred from laying any longer? Even though the dogs no longer escape, they still make quite a bit of noise. Their barking is amplified by the location of their home and how it's sits in a valley of sorts.

Or is it my setup? What am I doing wrong (besides being a fool and leaving my hens unattended)? Please help!

 

[Ferd Berfel]

Our hens free range and are unattended more often than not. You can’t watch them every second. If we lived nearby I would give you a hen that I know is laying. Maybe yours would get the hint. If you have my luck, mine would probably quit too.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How old are the hens? Stress from the attack could have put them off laying, and if the hens are over a year old, subsequent shortening of daylight hours could have stopped it for the rest of the year. They should resume laying come late winter/spring.

The dogs barking shouldn't be enough to prevent them from laying. Chickens are pretty tolerant of noise, especially regular noise.

 

[Chookchicken]

The dogs barking shouldn’t effect them laying, I have silkies and dogs bark here all the time and there not bothered.

As @rosemarythyme said it could be stress.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

It could be stress. It could also be because of shorter daylight hours.

 

[VistaCoop]

How old are the hens? Stress from the attack could have put them off laying, and if the hens are over a year old, subsequent shortening of daylight hours could have stopped it for the rest of the year. They should resume laying come late winter/spring.

The dogs barking shouldn't be enough to prevent them from laying. Chickens are pretty tolerant of noise, especially regular noise.

The two that survived we've had since they were 2 weeks old and they were bought in March 2020. Yes, a Covid inspired venture. The newest member we've had since a chick and she was bought 4 months ago.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The two that survived we've had since they were 2 weeks old and they were bought in March 2020. Yes, a Covid inspired venture. The newest member we've had since a chick and she was bought 4 months ago.

It's not always the case, but even younger layers can slow or cease laying due to lack of sufficient daylight hours. Perhaps that combined with the stress of the attack was enough to stop their laying.