Return to egg laying

[Happy Chick Home]

How long after hatching eggs do momma hens start laying eggs again?

 

[nuthatched]

4-6 weeks

 

[aart]

Couple weeks after weaning the chicks.

 

[Happy Chick Home]

Thank you all. I have a hen who goes broody. For the 1st time she has been left to sit on eggs and has 2 hatchlings. At 4 weeks old and quite immature, not fully feathered, the hen was abandoning them. She went in the coop with the grown hens and got a spot on a roost. The babies wandered aimlessly not knowing where to sleep. I took her off the roost and she got onto another. I picked up a baby and she started making her protective momma noises. Put the baby on the roost with her and she took it under her wing. That seemed good.
Two days later I witnessed her in the nest and she indeed laid an egg. Another egg the next day.
Hormones can't decide what to do I guess. Her broody sister raised my 10 purchased week old orphans last summer. Never laid an egg for 3 months while she was with the chicks.

 

[aart]

Two days later I witnessed her in the nest and she indeed laid an egg. Another egg the next day.
Hormones can't decide what to do I guess. Her broody sister raised my 10 purchased week old orphans last summer. Never laid an egg for 3 months while she was with the chicks.

They are all different.

 

[Ridgerunner]

At 4 weeks old and quite immature, not fully feathered, the hen was abandoning them.

I've had two different broody hens wean their chicks at 3 weeks. They left the chicks to make their own way with the flock and the chicks did. One of those hens, my only green egg layer at the time, started laying again at 2-1/2 weeks. I walked down there and saw the chicks wondering around peeping and totally confused. I thought some predator had gotten the hen but nope, she was sitting on a nest.

I've also had hens not wean their chicks until after two months. I've had broody hens just stop taking care of the chicks cold turkey. I've had hens stop taking care of the chicks during the day but sleep with them on the roost and protect them. I've had hens stop sleeping with them but take care of them during the day for a while longer.

They are all different.

Ain't that the truth.

 

[Happy Chick Home]

Thank you. It is heartbreaking to watch. I'm considering giving them a bit more tlc to make sure they get enough to eat. Trick is catching them. I guess I need a fishing net.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is heartbreaking to watch.

Why? It is part of nature. The broody hen's job is to raise the chicks until they can take care of themselves. Your hen has done that. A lot of broody hens wean their chicks at 4 weeks.

If you let her raise them with the other flock members she has spent 4 weeks teaching the other hens to leave her babies alone. Her chicks have learned how to behave in the flock environment. If you have minimal space in the coop and the run it makes this harder, but with multiple feed and water stations those chicks should be able to take care of themselves. If you kept the hen and the chicks isolated from the flock it is now your job to integrate them since you did not let the broody hen do it for you.

 

[aart]

Thank you. It is heartbreaking to watch. I'm considering giving them a bit more tlc to make sure they get enough to eat. Trick is catching them. I guess I need a fishing net.

Yeah, it's hard to see but just let them figure it out.
Interfering will cause more problems than it will solve.
Just make sure there are hiding places (that don't dead end), multiple feed and water stations.

Why? It is part of nature. The broody hen's job is to raise the chicks until they can take care of themselves. Your hen has done that. A lot of broody hens wean their chicks at 4 weeks.

If you let her raise them with the other flock members she has spent 4 weeks teaching the other hens to leave her babies alone. Her chicks have learned how to behave in the flock environment. If you have minimal space in the coop and the run it makes this harder, but with multiple feed and water stations those chicks should be able to take care of themselves. If you kept the hen and the chicks isolated from the flock it is now your job to integrate them since you did not let the broody hen do it for you.

All true...but....regardless of all the work and stress broodies supposedly save us, there are downsides. Weaning can be a hard time to observe.

 

[Happy Chick Home]

Why? It is part of nature. The broody hen's job is to raise the chicks until they can take care of themselves. Your hen has done that. A lot of broody hens wean their chicks at 4 weeks.

If you let her raise them with the other flock members she has spent 4 weeks teaching the other hens to leave her babies alone. Her chicks have learned how to behave in the flock environment. If you have minimal space in the coop and the run it makes this harder, but with multiple feed and water stations those chicks should be able to take care of themselves. If you kept the hen and the chicks isolated from the flock it is now your job to integrate them since you did not let the broody hen do it for you.

Not really just nature. People domesticated chickens a very long time ago and have been interfering ever since. Without selecting for good mommas the result will be all sorts of parents.

As I have watched for a couple of days I think momma's eggs are flowing, she can't stop that so she is desperately trying to wean the chicks but doesn't really want to.

They were raised with the flock but the larger birds do chase them away from feeders, which are multiple and in various sizes and places. Sometimes they are nice but not regarding feed. There is always plenty of feed but they all want it from my hand or the feeder as I set it down.

My interference was to catch the little ones, take them away for 10 - 15 minutes at a time and provide feed in solitude. The flock doesn't pay attention to such a short interruption and the little ones get a full belly.

Thanks very much for your replies.