My hens stopped laying -- any ideas why?

[Sgiandubh]

Hello:
I have 6 2-year old hens that were laying average 4 eggs/day
25 july i added 2 additional 2 year old hens, and a rooster -- (Ayam cemanis)
and i have 5 littles hatched apr 17 that maybe started to add a tricle of eggs at end of aug.
through august, i was getting 6-8 eggs daily.

I introduced the 3 groups of chickens slowly and there has been no squabbling, they have all come to hang out together peacefully, and use each other's coops sometimes. All the hens lay eggs the same 2 nesting boxes.

But: In the early mornign the firtst thing the rooster wants to do is chase the hens and catch whoever he can, so early mornings are not calm for the girls. Within an hour or so though everyone is up and eating and relaxed.

However -- since september 1 -- they only lay 2 eggs/day.
Everybody appears healthy and fine. They are active and enjoy treats -- their feathers look normal, and their behaviour is normal.

It is too early in the season for the decrease in eggs (last year they stopped completely between early dec _> mid february)

We have bad air, and smoky/hazy skies form the fires -- but then we live in the PNW- where cloudy days are not unusual.

What could be causing this drop? Is the rooster stressing them ? the air/fires? something else?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks!!
-eva

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The cause is their age, the time of year and minimally the stress of a change in flock dynamics.
Chickens will only lay year round the first year. 2 year old hens will molt this and every autumn for the rest of their lives. They don't lay eggs when molting. Expect to see feathers everywhere like someone had a pillow fight.
The young pullets won't be laying till the end of the month, if then due to declining day length.