Seriously, am i doing something wrong?????

[LizzieJ]

Hi my chickens (14 month old red shaver hybrids) have stopped laying since one of the flock died, we recently added more to our flock including three ducks and now the female duck we have seems to have stopped laying too......................HELP!
Our birds are all happy and healthy, well fed and kept clean dry and warm but it just seems they dont want to lay..........its about 6 weeks since we had an egg from the chickens and nothing from the duck for 3 days (she was previously laying 6/7 days.
Im really starting to get disheartened with it now and am convinced im doing something wrong. any suggestions?
Thanks in advance Liz xx

 

[Judy]

They were just about old enough to stop laying and molt when you shook up their world. Give them time, and hopefully all will settle in, back to normal. Chickens often stop laying for a while for various reasons; they will never give you an egg a day, or 6 a week, all their life.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Any stress can cause them to quit laying for a bit. You have had two stresses, losing a flock member then adding new ones. Give them some time and they will start back up again.

 

[LizzieJ]

Thanks guys, they were just coming out of their first moult when i got them, looked decidedly oven ready for a while! now they have all their feathers back.
The loss of one of the flock did co-incide with a hike in temperature also im hoping that the combination of factors is what has caused it.
Its just a little frustrating as when we first got them we were averaging 18 eggs per week from the original flock of 5, now we have 11 and 3 ducks and get one duck egg every other day or so!
We emptied the hen house and discovered that rain had gotten in to one corner and was making the bedding damp, this has now been rectified so fingers crossed im covering all bases.
Thanks for the replies
Liz xx