How long should my Dutch hens be broody?

[junglegirls]

My little hens are broody, severly broody! Once we solved the mystery of why they were all ganged up in one box on top of one another (I put pingpong balls, two, in three boxes and they instantly spread out. Probably said, Hurrah! But they have been at this for more than a week, and are becoming dehydrated, and losing weight. Since they are small to begin with, I don't think this is good. I've been trying to shoo them out of the boxes at least three times a day, with tempting things like cooked brown rice and millet, and watermelon, etc, but I'm worried. Should I be?

 

[sourland]

Under normal circumstances, they will stay broody long enough to hatch their eggs;i.e., 21 days. Without eggs to hatch, it is hard to say how long they will set. Hens have been known to stay broody so long that they become weakened and die. If they are not hatching eggs, put them in a wire bottomed pen for a couple of weeks and break them of brooding.