rooster affecting egg production??

[kayab423]

Hi,
I was just wondering if having a rooster in the coop affects egg production. We have 9 hens and one very horny rooster. 5 of the hens are still too young to lay but the others should be. I spend too much money on chicken feed to still have to buy eggs at the grocery store!! If the rooster is upsetting the ladies to the point that they're not laying then we should get rid of him. Thanks!

 

[canada-goose]

He might be scaring them. You could try taking him out for a few days and see if they start laying better. I'm not an expert though.

 

[gritsar]

Overmated hens are stressed hens. Stressed hens, no matter the cause of their stress, tend to lay less.
Something else to keep in mind. It's that time of year for a decrease in laying. The days are getting shorter and it's also prime time for molting.