Laying eggs on roost, pecking, eating eggs

[Elena Kh]

I have only 5 chickens in small coop. I added 3 young ones (8 weeks) to the 2 old ones ( 1.5 year). One of young began to lay eggs on the roost. The hens began to peck at them. She stopped laying eggs. What to do?

 

[aart]

Confused here.....8 week old birds do not lay eggs.
Did you mean 8 months?
Who stopped laying, the olders or the youngers?
Had she been laying in the nest before, or....?
Really need more info.

Knowing more about ...
-your flock size(numbers, ages, genders),
-your coop(size in feet by feet with pics),
-and what and how exactly you are feeding,
might offer clues to if there is a solvable problem

 

[Elena Kh]

I have 5 chickens, no roosters.
Got two chicks Ameraukana, Golden Wyandotte - ( age 1 week) on April, 2019. Three hybrids, (don't know breeds one - black, two - looks like Amerucana) - ( age 6 weeks) on May, 2020. Coop - 7ft x 9 ft, with window. Food: Layena or Purina (16 - 18 % protein), olster shells. 2 old chickens stopped to lay eggs after adding young ones. Young black chicken began to lay eggs on roost. I founded broken white eggs ones a two days. Now I don't have eggs. Please, advise me, what to do.

 

[Sonya9]

Are the eggs being laid at night and you find them in the morning? If so the hen can't control it, though usually as they get older they stop laying at night and will lay in the nest boxes instead.

If an egg gets laid at night and falls it will crack open and then someone will eat it. That is just natural.

If your one year old chickens stopped laying it is possible they are stressed over the new additions or something else has upset them. Or they may be laying in a hidden spot. Make sure your nest boxes are clean. Are their combs red or pink? Red signifies laying, pink combs mean they are not laying.

 

[Elena Kh]

Are the eggs being laid at night and you find them in the morning? If so the hen can't control it, though usually as they get older they stop laying at night and will lay in the nest boxes instead.

If an egg gets laid at night and falls it will crack open and then someone will eat it. That is just natural.

If your one year old chickens stopped laying it is possible they are stressed over the new additions or something else has upset them. Or they may be laying in a hidden spot. Make sure your nest boxes are clean.

Thanks a lot. You are really right. Old chickens had high stress. One of them walked only far from others, set under coop, didn't lay eggs, almost stopped to eat, and died. Your advice about color of comb is very useful for me.