It really depends on the hen I have hens stay with there babies until they were almost 2 months oldShe will only be a mother for around three weeks, at that point she'll peck her own children in the head and pretty much tell them to "get a job". They don't yearn for motherhood in an emotional way it is purely biological. She won't even like to look at them after they're weaned, they won't be her "babies" they'll be another beak taking food that could be hers so she can fill up, recharge, and do the whole thing over again. So breaking a broody isn't keeping her from being a mother, it is pushing the stop button on the process of making more chickens, that's it. No emotions, no chicken depression, none of that. It may seem cruel to someone unfamiliar with the process just due to the extremity of the methods used to postpone a strong biological urge. I say postpone, because it will be back, maybe they should change the term from breaking to negotiating it is really much closer to what is going on.
I’ve had them mother for as few as 5 weeks and as many as 5 months. The one that mothered has her babies for 5 months is actually a leghorn.
I had broods as big 10 stay with there mom till they were almost 2 months she actually my profile pictureYou had a very rare hen with a tiny brood. Those are always lovely if you're lucky enough to get one. More often than not though, they're done with it much sooner especially with a large brood....cannot fault them one tiny bit, having six or eight kids all the same age literally up your butt 24/7 would make anybody run.
I have decided to find another hen just like her and I still have one of her great great grandchildren but he’s a boyWow, you better build her a shrine or something.She's a real treasure, you're very fortunate.
