broody mama is being less attentive to young chicks

[chick-flo-a]

I bought 4 chicks for my hen who has been broody for the last 6 weeks. She was great for the first week - only leaving them for 15 minutes, 2 or 3 times today. But for the last couple of days she has left them for an or more hour several times during the day. The chicks run around the chicken run chirping for her while she is in the outside the run in an enclosed part of my yard.
Is this okay for the chicks? Should I bring them inside and put them in a brooder box? So far, she is still sleeping with them at night and sits on them when she is not outside.
Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How old are the chicks? Sounds like they are less than 2 weeks? A hen shouldn't leave them until they are a bit older. You may want to confine her with them for another few weeks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

My hens started weaning their chicks between two and three weeks, abandoned them entirely at three weeks. The chicks are a month old today and are roosting in the hen house with the flock. Roosting, I said. On the roosts! I've had 8-week old chicks I raised in the house for 3 weeks that weren't doing that.