When do hens start laying again?

[Aloha Moa]

I have two hens with 6 chicks each, about 6 weeks old. The chicks still follow the hen(s) around. When will she start laying eggs again? Will she wait till the chicks are more independent, so she can go broody?

 

[bigzio]

Aloha Moa, usually when the chicks are big enough to take care of themselves, around 8 to 10 weeks the hen will resume laying.

Hens go broody from natural instinct. There is no way of knowing if she will go broody again. Some go broody often and some go broody once and, never to broody again.

Good Luck. It helps to know the breed.

bigzio

 

[Henly]

Well most times the hen will start laying again after about 10 weeks after her chicks are hatched.

 

[chickbea]

My amazing hen Dorothy, who I could rave and rave about (but I won't...

), started laying within the third week after having her babies! When I found the first egg in her nest, I couldn't believe it! She went right back up to 4-5 eggs a week.
I had no idea what to do, because she was still living with her babies and they all were eating chick starter. So, every morning and night I have to stand there holding layer pellets and oyster shell out to her to be sure she is getting enough calcium. It's getting to be a pain! The babies are sure she is getting some fabulous treat and they just freak out!

 

[Aloha Moa]

Thanks for the info. I have an interesting situation in that I'm basically giving a flock of jungle chickens the treat of scratch every day in exchange for being able to watch them

They're eating from the jungle floor and obviously manage to find calcium because I buy the cheap scratch. They also manage to find their own water.

And breeds? About as far from purebred as you can get. Mutts, these are, known here as "poi chickens"