How long did it take?

[BlindLemonChicken]

Along with the season, I think the age of the broody hen may also affect this. Gramma Feathers raised a lot of chicks for me over the years. When she was 6, she took much longer breaks from laying. After molt she was the last to come back into lay, she really only laid for a week or 2, then went broody in May, and she did not come back into lay until late July, laid for two weeks - went broody and did not lay again after that.

I was going to say something about this as well. My older Sussex was my best broody but my worst layer. I’m not sure she was laying at all three months after her last chick hatched. I don’t know for sure how old she was but she was at least four.

 

[mtgirl2]

This is the first successful brood for my Cochin and she is at week 9 and still mothering her chicks and not laying. Here are pics of week 1 and week 9.

 

[SamLockwood]

After your hen hatched eggs, how long did she take to start laying again?
Mine is taking her sweet time.

It depends on if you let her raise the chicks or not. They tend to stay in "mommy mode" until the chicks are fully feathered and not lay any eggs. I've seen some have a partial molt after they get done mothering. Some snap right back after a week or two, others won't lay for up to six weeks. A few go broody again!

On the plus side, I've noticed that even my older hens that tend towards summer broodiness tend to lay eggs throughout the winter after they get done with their winter molt.

 

[Mrs. K]

I had Gramma Feathers - she would keep those chicks next to her until they were full grown, and then she still liked them close...until her next batch came around.

Mrs. Black tail - she kept them close 3 weeks... and then they were on their own, she was right next to the rooster, bright red comb and laying eggs.