When can I expect her to lay again?

[edselpdx]

I had an impossible-to-break broody and a few weeks ago gave her a couple of store bought chicks to raise with the old switcharoo at night. She has taken to them in a beautiful way and is mothering them well. They don't chirp all the time like brooder-only chicks, and "mama" seems to know just what to do for them. If they were in a brooder without a "mama", I'd be at about 80-85 degrees under a heat lamp with outside daytime temps in the high 60's to low 70's here, but these babies are doing great with ambient outside temps. They're on dirt and eating medicated feed with mama. Mama knows when they want to be warm, and how to teach them to look for food, and they are all inseparable. SOOOOOO much easier than raising without a mama in a brooder in the house and dealing with cheeping and dander and dust inside.

So, when can I expect Persephone to stop being mama hen and start being a layer again? She's clearly still very interested in being mama to these 3 weeks old in her care. But I'm kind of wondering about when I get eggs from her again? Haven't had any since mid-late July when she first went broody on me.

Any thoughts?

 

[emys]

Depends on her age and condition. I've had a hen begin laying 3 weeks after her babies hatched, but it can easily take from 4 to 5 weeks.

 

[edselpdx]

Thanks for the quick reply. She's about 1.5 yrs old. I'm checking the separate brooder coop they're all in daily for an egg and haven't found one yet. Chicks have been with her for 2.5 weeks, but were more than day-olds when I did the switch-a-roo, so they're closer to 3 weeks old, I estimate.

 

[emys]

It isn't the age of the chicks that matters, it's how long the momma bird hasn't been broody and has been eating well.

Mine tends to get a bit impatient with the chicks, not so attentive before she lays. If you watch closely, you can sort of see it coming.