Broody hen - when will she start laying again?

[Muser]

I have a currently Brooding Orpington x Brahma hen. It's her first time looking after chicks and she's done an amazing job. The chicks are 8 weeks old and she's still protecting them/sitting over them in the coop (there's 7 of them and they can't all fit under her, despite trying!) but she's still keen to mother over them currently.

There was an egg in the coop this morning I think might be hers due to the colour, is it likely to be hers or do they not start laying until the broodiness has disipated? If it isn't hers, when should I expect her to start laying again? Thanks!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

is it likely to be hers or do they not start laying until the broodiness has disipated?

I have had hens that started back to laying before they had completely booted the chicks to the curb. Somehow she communicated to them not to follow her into the lay box.

Others have booted the chicks and still taken about 2 weeks before returning to lay.

Many have mini molted during raising the chicks and didn't have any winter molt.. thus continued laying throughout what would have otherwise been their standard molting phase.. and eliminating the laying loss otherwise seen from being broody.

No two hens are the same in my experience.

I've also seen hens teach the chicks how to roost and trying to cover them on roost.

Happy adventures!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm sorry but there is no clear answer to this. My experiences are similar to the ones Eggsighted mentioned.

Before they start laying, pullets and hens store up extra fat. I've butchered enough pullets, hens, cockerels, and roosters to see that. That fat is a reserve they draw on if they ever go broody. That way they can live off of that fat instead of having to be off of the nest looking for food and water a lot. When a hen is on the nest she typically loses weight, fat meant for that purpose. She is not going to start laying after being broody until she replenishes that fat reserve. That is part of what you are dealing with.

Another part is that when she is broody parts of her internal egg making factory dry up. She stops growing ova to make yolks. Before she can start laying again she has to reverse that process. That does not happen overnight.

Still, there are exceptions to everything and each hen is an individual. They do not all do the exact same thing.

I had one hen that started laying 2-1/2 weeks after her chicks hatched. She weaned them a few days later, at 3 weeks. Those chicks were running around peeping and all excited. I thought a fox or dog had gotten her. But no, she was on the nest laying.

I had a hen that molted in late summer while she was taking care of her chicks. She was over the molt with the chicks weaned and back to laying before the rest of the flock molted. She laid all through that winter.

I don't know when a lot of them actually go back to laying since their eggs are similar to others in the flock. But about anything can happen.

 

[Muser]

Thanks both, yeah she appears to be going through her molt at the moment too, poor girl hasn't had a break what with brooding and molting, but she's happy and her comb/wattles are coming back to the lovely red colour after being paler from the heavy brooding.

I'm not worried or impatient when it comes to her laying again, just curious as to when she might have a think about it Let her have a lovely recover with lots of good quality snacks she deserves

Thanks for your knowledgeable inputs about your experiences

 

[tori729]

I know this is a little old but I had a brahma hatch a chick and raise 5 total (I added some TSC chicks) over the summer. They were born in September and she mothered them for probably at least 8+ weeks. She molted right after that and then started laying again a couple weeks ago while the rest of my brahmas are taking a break. It's actually nice because she's one of 3 hens laying right now and I'm thankful we are still getting a few eggs!

 

[Muser]

My girl started laying a few weeks ago so she's back at it now