How long after hatch will Broody hen start to lay again?

[EAST TEXAROO]

How long after hatch will Broody hen start to lay again?

 

[Judy]

Usually she will mother the chicks for 4 to 8 weeks, then make them join the flock. Another week or so and she will start laying.

 

[Junkmanme]

MY broody hen just paid attention to her chicks UNTIL I separated her from them.

She paced and fretted for about 3 days. About the 4th or 5th day she started laying again. She has laid an egg every day since. (about one week's worth of eggs now.) AND this is HOT SUMMER!

Today, I let the "chicks" roam with the "grown-ups".She chased ALL of them! No egg yet today. Maybe later OR maybe..the chasing of the chicks put her "out-of-the-mood". Probably have an egg in the morning.

just what I've seen here (not an expert, at all).

Have a pleasant weekend!

-Junkmanme-

 

[pbjmaker]

My co-parenting cochins have differing opinions on this. The "main" mom quit taking care of the chicks over a week ago and started laying within three days. The "other" mom is slowly letting them wander off further and further - but still doesn't let anyone mess with them. She is not laying yet. The chicks are about 4 weeks old. Both moms and the babies still sleep in a big pile together at night.

This is the second time they have co- parented this way.

 

[shuizar209]

If you are planning on your broody to raise the chicks it will be about 4 to 8 weeks.. when she pays no mind to her chicks that deed is done and you can expect some eggs about a week later...

 

[speckledhen]

I've had them start laying again when the babies were three weeks old and my banty Cochin just started laying today and her chick is eight weeks old.

 

[Eagles_View]

I googled this topic and have to put out my 2 cents worth...I asked the question on when will my two broody hens will start laying again...

First...low and behold, I'm new to this, so I notice this Buff hen, being grouchy, always had her feathers flayed out, pacing around like she had lost something...then I noticed she kept sitting on the nest all night and never going to the roost....so, I put 6 eggs under her...she started sitting right away...getting off the nest once in the morning and again in the late afternoon....a week into her business I had a barred rock do the same thing...so, I put 12 under her...all gathered on the same day...I have 32 hens all different breeds and sizes and just one rooster...(an Easter Egger) "Henry"...for that "country sound" early in the morning...

The buff hatched out 3, 2 died trying to get out...the rest were just rotton eggs.
The BR hatched out 2, with 2 dead in the shell....the rest were also just rotton eggs.

All natural, in the same hen palace as the rest...on day 3 of hatching, they clucked clucked their little butts out the door and into the chicken yard...we had a day or two of a cold spell, but out they came...soon, she'd be sitting down with them tucked under her..both hens acted this way...I had moved them after they started hatching from the nesting box up about 4 feet from the floor, to the floor with just 2x4's making a square...they stayed with the chicks there, but could jump over the board and get out.

The chicks are 5 days to a week a part in age...4 look like Buffs and 2 look like one of the black bantys....

They love to free range with the others when I let them out...but stay close to the hens...the other chickens and the roo don't pay them any attention...I've seen the mother's "roll" and "chase" the cats away when they get too close...chicks are just a week and 2 weeks old now.

Has been a great expierence for this first time country living/chicken owning city girl....

-Eagles View Farm
NE Mo.

 

[Arielle]

My first broody hen just started sitting this week. DH asked today when she will be going back to work! Good to know if I pull the babies and place in brooder all will be fine.

SHe puffs up when we approach. But she a BO and is sweet and will let us pick her up. SO unlike the RIR who peck our hands for reaching under them for the eggs!

 

[Mrs Chicken]

first of all I consider myself as a newbie.

I got my first six chickens (3 black sex links and 3 New Hampshire Red) in the spring of '2011. This spring one of my NHR decided to go broody (I thought uh oh??). Not having a rooster I searched around the area for some fertilized eggs. Finally found some Islandic chicken eggs in the area so I bought six. On July 10th the first an only chick hatched. The rest of the eggs were rotten, I did find a couple that looked like the embryo started to develop then stopped,

I built a separated box for the hen to brood in and she has been in there since I placed the eggs under her. I noticed that she has been going further and further away from the chick (now 5 weeks old), but as soon as she hears the chick cry out, momma comes a running. They have both been free ranging with the rest of the flock since the chick was 3-4 days old.

I also bought 25 roo's but only have 7 left due to a raccoon attack (killed 15) and lost 2 more just last week to what I think was a fox ( the 2 dominate roosters were missing). Only saw a mess of feathers and then the next morning found one of the roosters in my garage under a trailer. The roosters still running away when the hens come near them. They are 15 weeks old now, wondering when they will start getting brave enough to start mounting the hens. Just an FYI, I am planning on butchering all but two of them, as well as getting more hens. One of the roosters I will be keeping is a Polish Crested and is still healing from the raccoon attack. "Special" is what my sister named him and he is really picked on by the rest of the flock. So much so, that I only let him out with them when I am there. He thinks I am his mother, and will go between my legs when the other chickens come by.

Anyway I am curious as too when my NHR will start laying again and when or if I should put her and the baby in with the other hens? Any suggestions?

 

[Mrs Chicken]

Well, I found my answer out to my question. My hen layed an egg today!