Very weird egg laying habit

[geese'n'chickenlovr]

Well I had ten chickens three roosters and seven hens... And eight of them died.. Either went next door to the oth chicken farm, or got eaten by a bobcat, raccoon, or fox or something.. So I had two hens left and they gave me about two eggs a day even through winter, well about a week and a half ago I got some more chickens from the S&M auction in Dade city, and now I have thirteen, which is 9 hens and 4 roosters, well now, after I got all those chickens, for the past week and a half.... NO EGGS!!!!! So does anyone know what's going on?? And also the hens were in their cages and gave me FIVE eggs in their cages on the way home... Very strange....

 

[WingingIt]

Probably just the stress of a new environment, establishing a new pecking order, getting comfortable in the new coop, etc. Give them another week or so and I bet you'll be getting eggs again. Unless they free range all the time, then they might be hiding them since the new hens won't be used to your situation yet (if they haven't been confined for a while to show where they go at night and where to lay).

 

[aggie9296]

Stress, such as a move or adding new chickens could cause them to stop laying. I got 2 adult hens that were laying daily and they stopped laying for almost 2 weeks after the move. Or they could be hiding their nest from you.

 

[geese'n'chickenlovr]

well they have a 4 foot wide, by 16 footlong, by 5 foot tall coop, and 10 foot wide, and 16 foot long run. And when they free range, i usually supervise them while taking care of my other animals outside... so yeah it could be stress....