How long does a broody hen have to be with chicks until she stops being broody?

[Star428]

I'm going to be watching someone's chicks and we were wondering if I let my broody hen watch the chicks for a will she stop being broody?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Depends on the hen. In most instances a broody hen will only care for chicks she hatched. They bond through the shell by sound in the last few days before hatching. If a chick sounds differently they may try to kill them.

Occasionally a hen will take anything and everything, but it's not common.

 

[NatJ]

I'm going to be watching someone's chicks and we were wondering if I let my broody hen watch the chicks for a will she stop being broody?

If she is willing to adopt the chicks and treat them as her own, yes she will stop being broody, at least while she is caring for the chicks.

But some broody hens refuse to adopt chicks.
Of the hens that will adopt chicks, most of them need to be broody for 2-3 weeks before you offer the chicks. They are not ready to be a mother sooner than that.

(When dealing with living creatures, there will always be a few exceptions: hens that accept chicks earlier, hens that accept chicks of some colors but not others, hens that will mother chicks without ever being broody, hens that refuse all chicks even if the chicks hatch underneath them, etc.)

 

[chickenlover8969]

usually the bonding happens thru the egg when my hens have chicks the longest one has ever watched them for was like 6 weeks witch is longer than usual