What age does a hen wean chicks?

[bittenbythechookbug]

I have 2 silver laced wyandotte hens both with a lone chick. One chick is 11 weeks and the other is 9 weeks. Both still hang out with their mums day and night (the flock free ranges throughout the day) and I've seen no sign of their mums chasing them off which is how I presume they wean. I would like the hens to get back into egg laying!.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

My last two broodies never really chased their chicks off, they just let them fend for themselves a little more with the flock. At first they were a little more protective but then gradually they started doing their own thing. One hatched in July and started laying again last month. I'm not sure if the other is laying again yet and she hatched her chicks in September. I don't think there's any set rule.

 

[bittenbythechookbug]

My last two broodies never really chased their chicks off, they just let them fend for themselves a little more with the flock. At first they were a little more protective but then gradually they started doing their own thing. One hatched in July and started laying again last month. I'm not sure if the other is laying again yet and she hatched her chicks in September. I don't think there's any set rule.

Oh dear. I notice the chicks still snuggle up to their mums when they're dust bathing, sunbathing etc. At this rate the chicks will be laying at the same time as their mums

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I am trying to remember when the chicks started having to fend for themselves more and I think they were almost full grown. At least one of the chicks has started laying from the September batch so it was about the same time actually. I know that doesn't help. I think the same thing happened with the others but I gave them away so I'm not certain.

 

[Sussex19]

Mine normally ween them anywhere between 3 and 9 weeks.
It isn't so much the hens chasing them off, (although that does happen to) as the chicks deciding the world is to interesting to bother following mummy around anymore!
If you want to hurry them up a bit, I don't think either chicks or mum would mind to much if you separated them for a while.

 

[bittenbythechookbug]

Mine normally ween them anywhere between 3 and 9 weeks.
It isn't so much the hens chasing them off, (although that does happen to) as the chicks deciding the world is to interesting to bother following mummy around anymore!
If you want to hurry them up a bit, I don't think either chicks or mum would mind to much if you separated them for a while.

Mine normally ween them anywhere between 3 and 9 weeks.
It isn't so much the hens chasing them off, (although that does happen to) as the chicks deciding the world is to interesting to bother following mummy around anymore!
If you want to hurry them up a bit, I don't think either chicks or mum would mind to much if you separated them for a while.

Mine stick like glue to their respective mums. I thought about separating them when I moved them in with the main flock. Lol - looks like I should have but I'd hate to have to reintegrate them now.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Mine was at about 8 weeks. She molted after that, started laying a couple of months later.

 

[NatJ]

I would like the hens to get back into egg laying!.

Mine stick like glue to their respective mums. I thought about separating them when I moved them in with the main flock. Lol - looks like I should have but I'd hate to have to reintegrate them now.

Are you sure the hens aren't laying already?

I've had hens that started laying eggs again while they were still mothering chicks.

I've even seen one partly-grown pullet snuggled in beside her mother on the nest when mamma had to lay an egg, while other chicks just did their own thing.

 

[Shadrach]

I have 2 silver laced wyandotte hens both with a lone chick. One chick is 11 weeks and the other is 9 weeks. Both still hang out with their mums day and night (the flock free ranges throughout the day) and I've seen no sign of their mums chasing them off which is how I presume they wean. I would like the hens to get back into egg laying!.

There is no set age and there is no fixed period of time at which a hen will start to lay eggs after raising chicks. I've had mums lay eggs and still mother the chicks, so the two events (laying eggs and letting the chicks fend for themselves) are not interdependant.
Some mothers are done and dusted after 3 to 4 weeks; others a couple of months.

 

[SueT]

My most recent hen weaned her sole chick at 4 weeks. She wanted nothing to do with him after that. A previous hen weaned her babies at 6 weeks.