when does egg laying resume?

[magentamomma]

my hens have basically stopped laying. I was getting 16 eggs a day, then a dog killed 6 hens and production dropped to 9 a day. i added new chickens and production dropped again to 3-4 eggs/day. Now i assume day length is playing a part and maybe stress, and there are alot of feathers fling around, so probably molting. my question is.... How long approximately does molting take and when do hens start laying again for the new season? Is it triggered by the solstice day length increasing or is it later, in true spring?

 

[Mahonri]

How much space do your 39 chickens have?

If they have plenty of space it usually takes 2-3 weeks after adding or subracting chickens for them to get back into a groove, that and light usually will help some too. If they are getting over a molt, that can also take a few more weeks.

 

[magentamomma]

about half of these are babies only 8 weeks old. They have a good size enclosure. Not seemingly crowded. What time of year do chickens resume laying?