When will my hen become "un-broody"

[logansmommy7]

I think one of my hens is broody. She has babies that are 4-5 weeks old and they are still with her. Will she give them up and lay again soon? About what age will this happen, or do we have to do something to make her lay again? I have 8 hens and am almost positive she is not laying. How do you tell which ones lay?

 

[KellyHM]

My broodies usually take around 2 months after hatching chicks to start laying again. One of mine still lets the babies sleep with her though...she never gives them up unless I take them away. Others will start kicking them out around 8 weeks.

 

[basicliving]

Hi logansmommy7 and

Looks like we are neighbors!

I had 2 broodies hatch out chicks a few months ago. One of them started sleeping on the roost at night when the chicks were 3 weeks old and would have nothing more to do with the babies. She started laying around 4 weeks after hatching them - and she went back to the spot in the brooder she had the chicks in to lay the first few times (leave the brooder open for a few weeks so the babies can still sleep there if desired). So I knew when she started laying again.

The other slept with the babies in the brooder until about week 4. Then she started sleeping on the roosts - but would let the babies sleep up there with her (under her, if they could wiggle their way in, most of the time!). She was a good mama and even adopted the chicks the other broody would have nothing to do with. I'm not sure she ever started laying again - she went broody AGAIN when the chicks were 8 weeks old.

So, after ALL that, I don't know how long yours will stay with the babies or when she will lay again! It seems to vary from one hen to another.

Penny

 

[McSpin]

To stop our hens from being broody, we put them in a wire cage for 3-5 days where they can't roost or nest. We place it in a cool spot. I think the object is to lower their body temperature a bit. It's works every time, but some extra broody hens will go broody again within a couple months.

 

[Allicoop]

Interesting thread. My hen chicks are 12 weeks old, she is still broody with them. They sleep with her (x3) and are all bigger than her. They all follow her around and she has a go at anything that comes near her babies, generally rabbits, or other hens......I've tried separating her during the day in a cage alone but I can't at night as that's where they sleep....

 

[Allicoop]

Update.....she is no longer broody! Yay and has started laying again

 

[Boneheadeb]

I have a buff orpington who I think is going broody on me. She's been on the nest all day today, puffing up, and is usually a morning egg layer. She's about 5 months old and has been laying for about 3-4 weeks. I'm still waiting for the rest of the hens to start laying, and don't need more chicks at this point. I will try to read up on how to best discourage her from setting. Some of these threads have literally thousands of responses, though, and I just can't slog through that many. So looking for a quicker response from your learned chicken folk. Thanks.

 

[Boneheadeb]

I gave her the boot off the eggs which she protested, then nabbed the eggs. An hour later, she's back setting in the corner, I assume on nothing, but all puffed up again. We're planning to be gone for the weekend, and I usually just leave them be, but may have to ask a neighbor to come gather eggs.