Do mothering hens with chicks still lay eggs?

[elmo]

Quote:
They probably would have been fine out with their mom. Chicks don't need constant temps; when they get cold, they call and their hen will plop down so they can snuggle into her feathers.

Our hens raised chicks last spring when we had a few fairly cool days, way below the temp that artificial brooders are set for. I saw for myself how it works in nature, and it works fine!

Now, I'm assuming it's not below freezing already where you are. I can well imagine if a hen hatches out a clutch in the dead of serious winter, there might be a problem with the chicks being able to be out from under her long enough to eat, etc.

 

[Cecile K]

This thread was interesting to read, given the variety of answers from different experiences.

Our girls are now about 8 weeks old and still nest with the mother hen at night - all cuddled in together, with Momma calling them into the coop at night. We're in NorCal, so it's not particularly cold at night. She continues to be very mothering to and highly protective of the five chicks, who are all fully feathered and quite gregarious. I heard some adultish squawking yesterday, but mostly the girls still peep.

Today, our hen sounded like she'd laid an egg, but she hadn't. Perhaps another one of those pesky hawks on the top of the covered run got her riled up; the little ones were huddled in together under the coop's overhang for protection.

So I guess it's just a wait and see kind of thing in terms of when our hen starts laying again... not a bad thing at all.

 

[krista77]

Very interesting. I was looking up this info myself... My first-time-mother bantam hen just started laying again. I was surprised, because her chicks are only 3 weeks old! She has been a great mother, but seems to be eager to get back to her former life. lol

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

They usually don't lay eggs while they're rearing chicks, I wouldn't take them unless you had to. I took some chicks from their mom today just because its just too cool outside at the moment for them. So I popped them under a heat lamp. Poor girl is still calling for her chicks.... just breaks my heart : (

There was no reason to do that. Chicks with a hen absolutely DO NOT need a heat lamp. Remember, it's almost 100 degrees under a broody hen. This spring, we had three day old chicks and their mama running around in the snow. The chicks scoot around, then come back to mama to keep warm. If birds couldn't keep chicks warm in cold weather, birds would have died out a long time ago. Mama knows how to do this better than you do. Poor thing.

 

[country chick1]

just to add with my experience - i have a hen with her chicks at the moment and she started laying when her chicks where 3 weeks old, she is starting to distance herself, she is not calling them when food is put down for them,she wanders off without them all the time...but still warms them at night, her chicks are now 4 weeks old and i have gotten an egg a day from her since they were 3 weeks...

 

[MandyMusshafen]

Quote:

They probably would have been fine out with their mom. Chicks don't need constant temps; when they get cold, they call and their hen will plop down so they can snuggle into her feathers.

Our hens raised chicks last spring when we had a few fairly cool days, way below the temp that artificial brooders are set for. I saw for myself how it works in nature, and it works fine!

Now, I'm assuming it's not below freezing already where you are. I can well imagine if a hen hatches out a clutch in the dead of serious winter, there might be a problem with the chicks being able to be out from under her long enough to eat, etc.

I know this is a super old post but I wanted to share for anyone who stumbles on this post later! My silkie hatched her eggs in a snow storm this year, and we let her keep them. It's been about 7 weeks now, and everyone is doing great! This was my first hen hatched/raised clutch and it has been great!