Chicken Question

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I've got two hens who have hatched out chicks -- half Easter Egger, and half Silkie -- and I was just wondering how long it will be before the hens start laying again. I don't really care -- I'm so happy to have a couple of hens who will go broody, that they could slack off till next spring if they want, as long as they raise their babies! But I was curious....

Kathleen

[poppy]

It depends on the breed, their age, etc. We are coming upon the time of year for those over 1 year old to molt. Most hens will either slack off sharply or quit laying altogether during the molt.

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Yes, I expect all six of my Easter Egger hens to start molting soon (and they need to -- they are looking pretty ragged!). I was just wondering how being a mother will affect their laying. The oldest chick is nine days old, the other seven hatched out on Saturday, so are five days old. Will the hens not lay until these babies are grown? Especially with winter coming on -- we don't get many eggs in the winter, anyway (no light to the chicken tractors).

Kathleen

[Summerthyme]

Mine seem to raise them to about 10 weeks (about half size) and then leave the young ones on their own and go back to the laying pen. (this is all on their own, as they usually sneak out to set on a clutch, or I'll turn them loose to free range in and around the barns when the babies hatch, because the mortality rate is too high if they try to raise them around all the adult birds in the laying pen).

Summerthyme

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Thanks, Summerthyme! So around the end of October probably.

Kathleen

[momof23goats]

Mine seem to raise them to about 10 weeks (about half size) and then leave the young ones on their own and go back to the laying pen. (this is all on their own, as they usually sneak out to set on a clutch, or I'll turn them loose to free range in and around the barns when the babies hatch, because the mortality rate is too high if they try to raise them around all the adult birds in the laying pen).

Summerthyme
ture, I agree ,in about10 weeks or so, they start laying again.