Why did my hens stop laying!

[Somiskel]

I know they were molting however; I also added 3 new birds that I hatched (they were about the same size as the current hens when I added them) and 2 of them ended up being roosters. So my question is...when my existing hens stop laying altogether because roosters are now in their space? Or is molting still happening?

 

[krista74]

If your girls are still in the moulting process they will probably not be laying due to that. The length of the moult is determined by many factors, including what type of moult they are going through (drop moult or partial moult), the age of the birds, and how often they used to lay prior to starting the moult.

Likewise, if your hens are feeling outnumbered by roosters it can also make them anxious and cause them to cease laying. I believe the recommended ratios are approximately 8 to 10 hens for every rooster. When an imbalance occurs it is not unusual for laying to become depleted. How you go about rectifying this is up to you - you could get more hens, rehome some of the roosters, or keep them separated and run two separate flocks - a hen flock and a bachelor pad!

The mere act of adding any new birds to your flock will always cause stress to layers. I myself just added three new girls to my flock and no-one laid an egg for a few days. They were too busy figuring out who was the boss and who was the lowliest member in the pecking order to be bothered laying!

- Krista

 

[Michael Apple]

I know they were molting however; I also added 3 new birds that I hatched (they were about the same size as the current hens when I added them) and 2 of them ended up being roosters. So my question is...when my existing hens stop laying altogether because roosters are now in their space? Or is molting still happening?

Many factors can affect egg production. Here is some information you may find useful:
http://king-brand.com/new/attachments/article/126/Egg Laying-Causes for Lower Production.pdf