Stress & egg laying

[Leanora]

Help! I have 6 free range girls, a huge cochin who has never laid in her 2yrs but is a great duvet for the others, a silkie who goes broody at the drop of a feather, 2 recently arrived americaunas who were laying everyday when they first came(6 weeks ago), a legbar(2 1/2yr) who isn't broody, goes in the nestbox 3-4 times a week but has only produced 1 egg in the last month, & a copper maran who is usually reliable, but has just finished brooding, so hope there, at least. I have gone from 4-6 eggs a day, to 1 if I'm lucky. I have noticed the 2 new girls, Americs, are becoming very aggressive to my broody silkie; could her permanent presence in the nestbox be stressing them enough to stop laying? I have noticed very little grit is being eaten.(The americaunas do sometimes lay in random places....stress/silkie??? It's mid-summer, which I thought was a good laying time; I did think it was magpies for a while, but don't think so now. Have just put a boiled egg in to make sure we don't have an egg thief.
I don't let them out now before 8am, as I lost 1 to a fox at 7am this year, & also 1 the previous year. Sorry to go on so....I know, like a headless chuck, but desperate for some advice, please

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Broody hens will disrupt everyone, and cause fighting and other hens to go broody. Older birds will lay less, anything 2 or older will slow down. They lay the best in early spring and will lay less as it gets warmer, than will pick up in the fall before quitting to molt. Chickens don't do well in hot weather.

All your breeds are hit and miss as far as egg production. When you are ready to add more I might choose some known for better production. I think time of year and breeds of your birds is what's getting you.