My Momma hen officially left her brood yesterday. She laid an egg and was on the roost last night. The chicks are 4 1/2 weeks old, so she dropped them a little sooner then is ideal, but it's plenty warm and they know where the food and water is. The are all sticking together and are roosting together in a bush this morning. Momma doesn't seem to miss them at all. I am going to miss seeing them together, but glad to have another hen laying right now. She was so efficient, she molted while she was brooding.