I have never had a rooster, (to noisey) and I have never had a problem with them not laying. A couple of times during the year they might moult, loose a few feathers and grow new ones, during this process they might go off the lay, nothing to worry about. Keep the girls locked up for the first couple of weeks, to get use to their new home. I went to the dump and brought second hand grass catchers for them to lay their eggs in. They will always use the same spot each time, that way you don't have to go looking for the eggs. After a few weeks you can let them out during the day and let them roam around your yard, remember don't shut the gate when you do. They will always go back in to lay their eggs. (You and the rest of the neigherhood will hear this). And every evening, like clock work they will walk back to their bed for the night.
I have 2 dogs a kelpie dingo cross and a pure cattle dog both brought up around the chooks since pups and never touched one. Although the kelpie would drive them mad at times trying to round them up like cattle.
One day the girls got a bit inquisitive and went into the neighbours yard. However his dogs got a bit to playfull. To this day my kelpie is still runs around the yard looking for them.
