when will hen start laying after hatching ducklings??

[tomynoks]

I have a hen with 5- 7 week old ducklings. She has not began to lay eggs again yet. When can I expect her too??

 

[Amiga]

Has she molted? When mine sit (on duds) it's a few weeks later and they molt, and then several weeks later they start to lay again unless it's really cold. Partly depends on the age of the duck.

 

[tomynoks]

The duck is maybe 14 to 16 months and just molted. Wondering if the time that they don't lay after hatching ducklings can be shortened by hatching in an incubator or taking the ducklings away after hatching.

 

[JoyAnna]

I certainly am no expert but will share my one experience. One of my ducks (around 3 years old) hatched out 12 ducklings just a month ago. I didn't let her take them outside because I hoped to sell the ducklings. She became extremely anxious to be with her flock, so I let her join them. She began to lay again within a couple of weeks. At first it was hit and miss, but has returned to one a day as usual.

 

[tomynoks]

That's awesome!! My situation is different because I only had 2 - 8 week olds when I acquired Mama and 5 - 2 week olds. She pretty much adopted ( or stole!) my babies and that is her flock. The babies are becoming more independent, but she's still in charge lol.

 

[buff goose guy]

The duck is maybe 14 to 16 months and just molted. Wondering if the time that they don't lay after hatching ducklings can be shortened by hatching in an incubator or taking the ducklings away after hatching.

yes incubating / raising the ducklings yourself can make them go faster when getting back to laying but takeing the babies away as to be done within a few days or the ducklings seem to get too attached and will just fear you. so i usually take away the eggs and have them incubated that way she keeps trying to lay more nests and when she does i take up those eggs and so on and so forth.

 

[tomynoks]

Perfect!! That's what I was hoping, just wanted someone to confirm it. It makes sense and seems natural that a hen would not lay more eggs while rearing her young.