Is this possible?

[MiniBeesKnees]

I had a year old hen (first brood) sit on eggs and have five children on March 17th. They were only five and a half weeks old when she (what I call) weaned them. When they were free ranging she'd peck them and chase them away from her, and she quit going into the crate were they were born at night when they did. They'd peep and cry and she'd just sit on a lower roost (too high for them) and look down on them. When they tried to join her, she'd chase them away and peck them too. With past broods the chicks would stay with the mother until they were almost as big as she was. For months. I had four girls born to one hen last year and they all still stick together.

I don't remember how long it was until they start laying again...I didn't care at the time, but this hen is acting like she wants to go broody again. Is this possible? Her chicks she weaned are only two months old now. I think she is even laying again. I'm getting as many eggs a day in the nest boxes as I have hens not caged up which includes her. As far as I'm concerned after a brood of chicks it is alright if they take three or four months off without laying.

Is there any kind of time estimate between broods that is average, or a guess, or not uncommon?

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

We have a hen that loves to be broody. We let her have 4 sets last year and each set was at least 12 eggs. She would raise them to about 6 weeks, start to lay and want to go broody. We had to keep forcing her off the nest. For a good broody this is pretty common. It makes up for the ones that never want to go broody.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Thank you...I didn't think that was possible. How did she act when they were six weeks old...? Like mine did and more or less run the chicks off as if they were not hers?
I figured if a hen went broody two times during the spring, summer, fall period that was good...but four times? WoW

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

She just starts staying away from the chicks more and more. She will roost higher and will quit talking to them so much. She will shoo them away and even peck at them if need be.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Exactly! Only she never talks to them. When they free range they stay together and she heads off in another direction.