Old girls vs New girls

[ernie85017]

My flock dwindled and I was down to 2 girls.

I brought in 2 more girls, just at point of lay. They started 1-2 weeks after they got here.
Since the new girls are here , the old girls are not laying. I had put up a light\
to get them going again, and they responded well. The light is still on until the\
days lengthen.

The new girls are laying 1 egg a day. The old girls haven't given me an egg in
a couple of weeks.

Could the arrival of the new girls have caused them to stop?
One of the new girls strutted in and took over top position of
the flock, if that matters.

ON another note, one of the new girls (not the dominant one) is having watery poops, and some
food is coming out looking nearly the way it went in. The red Manna Pro
knock off was nearly intact. Could she not understand about the grit
in the grit dish? Sems impossible that it could go through without some change
in appearance.

She is also thin around the breast bone. She eats, but perhaps not as much
as I think she is?

I have wormed them, since I saw some tapeworm eggs.

Thank goodness for BackyardChickens!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your older hens quit due to the stress of new hens moving into their territory. They will resume when they aren't stressed by it anymore. Watery poop can be as simple as them drinking lots of water to various diseases. Young hens are thin so you can't go by that. I go by their behavior as far as if they are healthy. The stress of them being moved could cause some watery droppings too.

 

[ernie85017]

Thanks. No one is acting strange, but I see that they will be stressed.
They don't fight that I have seen. I will watch and wait.

 

[aart]

When did you get the new girls?
When did you worm and with what?

Are you feeding crumbles or pellets or cracked grains?
Grains will require grit, but crumbles and pellets should not.