Wondering whether to separate hen from chicks

[DonyaQuick]

I gave a broody hen some chicks about 4.5 weeks ago and she has mothered them well. However, she's rapidly un-broodying: the molt, the comb is almost fully back up, increasingly making regular hen noises, sharing food less, and as of today no longer doing the broody feather puff at other chickens. The weather unfortunately isn't condusive to moving the chicks outside into a bigger enclosure at their current level of feathering. The chicks will ultimately go to a different flock than her so the separation has to happen eventually, but they're also too small for that just yet. The chicks still follow their broody mom and sleep next to her so they will cry a lot if she's removed, although I assume they'd get over it. I just don't want to wait too long if she suddenly decides she doesn't want them around her anymore. My previous broody hens didn't start the back-to-normal changes this early - it was more like 8 weeks for them so I'm not sure what to do. Separate now, or wait a bit longer?

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I think the broody hen knows it's time that the chicks should go off on their own. My chicks were that old or younger when the hen kicked them out to fend for themselves.
When you remove the chicks and they start crying, don't worry because they will eventually get over it.
When the hen starts ignoring the chicks and leaves them to forage on their own when free-ranging you know it's that time
Good luck!

 

[DonyaQuick]

When the hen starts ignoring the chicks and leaves them to forage on their own when free-ranging you know it's that time

Ah...well, it's time then. My setup for them is in the house and mama has routinely been leaving her babies and running down the hall to go exploring without them.