How long before a broody hen will lay eggs again?

[Jeffross1968]

This is an old thread, but wanted to share my first broody experience. We had our 1.5 year old light brahma go broody. Her 7 chicks are now a little less than 3 weeks old, and she just started laying again this morning. Thought it would take longer.

 

[nina1marc2]

I have one 23 week old hen/pullet who started laying about 6weeks ago. She suddenly went broody with some golf balls and stopped laying her eggs. I removed the golf balls (that she moved in there to begin with) and she joined her three other hen friends and is perching at night with them. It's been 6days without eggs. How long after will she start to show signs again of egg laying? Like squatting or egg call?

 

[coconutprincess]

I am wondering the same thing...I have a Cornish who started laying late July/early August, she went broody on me a week ago. there is no rooster and no fertile eggs. she stopped laying and I think she's finally broken of her broodiness, she was roosting with the other girls last night and came out of the coop with them this morning. Just wondering when she might start laying again because she never actually hatched any eggs.

 

[nina1marc2]

I am wondering the same thing...I have a Cornish who started laying late July/early August, she went broody on me a week ago. there is no rooster and no fertile eggs. she stopped laying and I think she's finally broken of her broodiness, she was roosting with the other girls last night and came out of the coop with them this morning.  Just wondering when she might start laying again because she never actually hatched any eggs.

My hen answered my question yesterday. After the 7th day she laid an egg. I was so happy to see this. She started perching for 3 nights with her friends she finally started. So my answer is It took a week for her but all of them are different. I do think removing the balls and making her go outside with the other 3 made her get better faster. Good luck.

 

[coconutprincess]

Thaks for your input! she's been "back" with the girls about 4 days now so I guess we'll wait and see what her crazy internal chicken clock is!

 

[coconutprincess]

Well, I have got my answer as well...Tilly finally started laying about 10 days after coming off being broody (no eggs hatched as I mentioned) but her laying cycle seems to be a bit screwy. Two days in a row I got 2 soft-shelled eggs from her and then much later in the day a normal egg. and some days I think she laid 2 normal eggs and one soft one! a couple other days there was a soft shelled egg in the coop in the morning and then a regular one later on. I know they are hers because shes the only one who lays very light coloured eggs. the rest are a deep brown. Crazy! anyway the last 2 days have been normal, just one normal egg per day in the morning. maybe she was just riding some kind of hormone rollercoaster and is back on track now, who knows? does anyone else have the experience with all those soft shelled eggs?

 

[nina1marc2]

Well, I have got my answer as well...Tilly finally started laying about 10 days after coming off being broody (no eggs hatched as I mentioned)  but her laying cycle seems to be a bit screwy.  Two days in a row I got 2 soft-shelled eggs from her and then much later in the day a normal egg. and some days I think she laid 2 normal eggs and one soft one! a couple other days there was a soft shelled egg in the coop in the morning and then a regular one later on.  I know they are hers because shes the only one who lays very light coloured eggs. the rest are a deep brown.  Crazy!  anyway the last 2 days have been normal, just one normal egg per day in the morning.  maybe she was just riding some kind of hormone rollercoaster and is back on track now, who knows? does anyone else have the experience with all those soft shelled eggs?

I use oyster shell to fix the soft shell problem. I honestly get shells from my family's dock and crush them up into small pieces. The hens love it. I just sprinkle it as a treat with sunflower seeds. It does the trick. I do know you can buy it at your tracker/chicken supply store or online.

 

[keeweekid]

Amonth ago I had a hen go broody which I broke her of, as we do not have any fertile eggs. She no longer sits on the nest but has not laid an egg since going broody. Is that common for a chicken who is not going to be a mama? When will she start laying again? And I also noticed she is at the bottom of the pecking order and has even lost quite a few feathers. I wonder if that has anything to do with her non egg laying? She keeps on the outside of the other 4 hens and always keeps her distance, and has become very flighty and nervous. Maybe this is a separate problem?

 

[iluvchessies]

I also had a broody hen - a Russian Orloff - who's broodiness was broke about 2 weeks ago. All of my six hens have slowed down with their egg production as the days grow shorter. I can't tell if my formerly broody hen has started laying again as I have two Russian Orloffs, but I suspect the eggs are from the other one. Is there a length of time to start getting concerned if the laying doesn't start up again? I'm new to chicken keeping and don't want something to happen to one of the girls due to my inexperience.

 

[iluvchessies]

I got two eggs from the Russians today - seems that my broody hen is back to laying! So that lasted about 2 1/2 weeks. I also noticed she's growing back some of her neck feathers that have been missing since I adopted her this summer. Guess she's getting through her molting for the season as well.