Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: mikebucks on August 14, 2010, 11:19

Title: broody raising chicks
Post by: mikebucks on August 14, 2010, 11:19

Hi all, I was wondering when our hen will start laying again after successfully rearing some fertilised eggs. The chicks are 4 weeks old and growing well but the mother hen seems very  fixated on them and doesn't seem interested in laying for us! When will she back into her stride?

Mike

Title: Re: broody raising chicks
Post by: themagicaltoad1 on August 14, 2010, 12:14

She'll be too busy looking after her brood for a while. The chicks are generally looked after by their mum until they're about 7 wks old when she will lose interest, she should start laying again shortly after that.

Title: Re: broody raising chicks
Post by: joyfull on August 14, 2010, 19:58

As magicaltoad said she will lose interest in them when they are between 5 and 10 weeks old then she may go into a moult or may go straight back into laying  :)

Title: Re: broody raising chicks
Post by: mikebucks on August 15, 2010, 23:00

Ok , Thanks for responding i'll wait  until 7-10 weeks and see.