Supposed "Best" Layers Not Laying

[RedDrgn]

5 LF hens (2 years old Jul 5): BA, BR, DOM, Wellie, and EE
1 LF roo (2 years old Oct 17): NH

All have been together for 1 year, 3 months. As expected, major molting began in Sept 2012 with the roo and the EE, followed by the BA and Wellie in Nov and the BR and DOM in late Jan.

All quit laying when they began to molt, but...

-The EE started laying again in Dec (1-2 eggs/week) and has been doing 5-6 eggs/week since late March.
-The DOM started laying again in late Feb (2-3 eggs/week) and has been doing 5-6 eggs/week since early April.
-The Wellie started laying again in late March (1-2 eggs/week) and has been doing 5-7 eggs/week since mid-April.

The BA and BR haven't laid a single thing since they molted. Prior to their molts, they were the two heaviest layers (6-7 eggs/week, consistently, even when it was extremely hot last summer). Now, it's almost the summer solstice and not a single egg from either of them.

Everyone is healthy, no worms (they were tested), no lice/mites/fleas/etc. Both are of heavy build and good weight with great plumage, no injuries/signs of any illness. They dust bathe, free range, and keep up with the rest of the flock doing their chicken things with/like everyone else, except for laying eggs. No obvious changes in flock dynamics. Just can't figure it out since they should be among the most prolific layers of the flock. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[donrae]

You say they free range. Have you gone on an egg hunt? Or tried confining them to the coop/run for a few days. That's always my first thought. They love to hide nests.

 

[RedDrgn]

You say they free range. Have you gone on an egg hunt? Or tried confining them to the coop/run for a few days. That's always my first thought. They love to hide nests.

Yes, we've checked the yard (just in case), though they only get to free range for 2-3 hours in the evenings on weekdays and then get most of daylight out on weekends if we are home. Even when out, though, they have all always come all of the way back to the coop to lay. We've never found an egg outside of the coop since we've had them (surprisingly, not even in the run!), and we periodically check since I've read so many stories about sneaky chickens.