How long does it take after chicks hatch for hen to start laying again

[ChickyLoo]

Quote:
Well my first hatch and at 4wks she started ignoring her chickies

it's really kinda sad to watch but I know it's just the way it is. She actually has pecked them when they try to steal food from her. She used to call them and put down food for them now she just gobbles it up herself

At night they still sleep all huddled together though, some even in her wings. Today at 5 1/2 weeks she started making clucking noises like she wants to lay an egg but I haven't seen it yet.

 

[ChickyLoo]

oh and just curious why remove the chicks from Mama?? It seems better to let mama decide for herself when she's done raising her chicks

 

[packer fan]

I know this is an old thread but why start another? The info has helped.


I have a batam silky that hasn't started laying yet after she hatched her brood in October, this is the end of January.

She has one roo that is still with her and is her only "flock mate." She hasn't ever really fitted in with the bigger flock. I keep her because I want her to go broody again.

 

[donrae]

I know this is an old thread but why start another? The info has helped.


I have a batam silky that hasn't started laying yet after she hatched her brood in October, this is the end of January.

She has one roo that is still with her and is her only "flock mate." She hasn't ever really fitted in with the bigger flock. I keep her because I want her to go broody again.

Her not laying is probably due to the timing of her last clutch. Silkies aren't stellar layers anyway, so I'd not expect her to lay in the winter. I'm betting she'll pick back up come spring.

Love those broody hens! I also keep bantam cochins, just for going broody. It's worth it to me to have a separate coop, just to not have to brood chicks myself

 

[bobhoke]

Well I would hope ours stop mothering quickly because they are bantams and the chicks will probably be bigger than them at four weeks. Moms are bantam cochins and the little ones are australorps...

 

[elaineinspain]

both my large fowl cochin, and my black australorp hatched chicks over 9 weeks ago and neither have started laying again, and both are still sleeping in their respective nests with their chicks. Should I place them on the roost in the evening? and the chicks too? Will that help them start laying again?

 

[leslielbk]

I also have giant cochins. Out of 7 eggs I only got one chick who is now 15 weeks old And she is HUGE. The mama hen has not started laying again yet. Maybe this breed just takes a long time.

 

[elaineinspain]

I also have giant cochins. Out of 7 eggs I only got one chick who is now 15 weeks old And she is HUGE. The mama hen has not started laying again yet. Maybe this breed just takes a long time.

Out of 12 large fowl cochin eggs only 2 hatched. I don't know if this is normal for cochins, or if it's because the eggs were sent to me in the post...

 

[leslielbk]

Out of 12 large fowl cochin eggs only 2 hatched. I don't know if this is normal for cochins, or if it's because the eggs were sent to me in the post...

There's no way to tell if they were fertilized eggs? Did you use an incubator or put them under a hen? Just curious how you did that because I was thinking of trying to do that too.

 

[elaineinspain]

My Cochin was broody, so I phoned the breeder where I got her from if he would sell me any fertilised eggs. He posted 12 to me as our car was off the road, and traveling three hours there and three back on a motorbike to pick them up seemed rather extreme. She was a great broody. It was her first time and she sat for a whole 23 days, only getting off the nest for around 30 mins each day to go outside and get some sunshine. If she stayed off any longer I would tempt her back onto the nest and she quite happily settled down again immediately on return. Problem with posted eggs is you never know how the eggs were handled in transit. They arrived within 24 hours of ordering, but was the box thrown around by the transit workers? Good luck with hatching your eggs. In future I will only try hatching eggs I bought and collected myself, and not sent by post.