How long will a broody hen usually care for her chicks?

[Winsor Woods]

I have a broody hen that hatched chicks about 3 weeks ago. I was wondering how long she will continue to protect and care for them before they are treated like just another member of the flock.

Dan

 

[speckledhen]

Most of mine begin pushing the babies away at 4-6 weeks, but I've had a hen try to kill her first ones at 3 weeks old and her second batch, she suddenly tried to kill them at 5 weeks old. I have a Buff Orp hen who is living with her 11 week old son right now. She doesn't defend him or feed him any longer, but she hasn't pushed him away like most hens do. My banty Cochin kept mothering hers till 8 weeks old, then began to chase them away.

 

[pgpoultry]

My Brahmas usually leave at 5 weeks (pretty constantly) and start to lay again,

Sandie

 

[crazy huhn]

My hens usually stopped around 6 weeks +/- 2 days and went back to egg laying business about 3 days later......

 

[Winsor Woods]

Thank you for those responses. I'll start to keep an eye out in the coming 2 weeks or so for signs that she's done being motherly. I also have some peeps in the brooder that I got from the ranch store to increase the diversity of my flock. Would it be correct to assume that when the broody stops caring for the chicks, this would be the best time to integrate the chicks from the brooder?

Dan