Please help.. broody hen.

 
Being a real worrier too - I can confirm......that no-one does it better than the mother hen!!! All I did was provide food and water and watched her teaching them every single day!!! There's a lot to learn as a baby chick!!! It was amazing!!! Although I did nothing in the house for 2 weeks!!!!!! 

Jan - my husband was furious!!! I sat in the shed for two days.....just watching them all hatch!!! Then I sat outside with a deckchair.....for TWO WEEKS watching the lessons!!! 

Yes you would need to separate her off from the others - as one tried to steal her eggs and she also tried to steal the eggs they were laying and leave her own - so I moved her and all was fine!! She barely ate or drank for 21 days!!! I got quite worried but she looked fine. About a week or 2 after they were born I let them out into a run - still separate from the others - but they could see them. There was only animosity from one hen for a couple of days and then all settled. I went out on day 4....and 3 chicks had escaped from the run somehow......I thought they would continue to do so regardless and would be better with mum able to get to them to protect them!! That was it - all was fine!! She looked after them out in the garden and they all live happily now!! 

Good luck with that Jan!!! It's been the least undaunting part of it all to be honest!!! Amazing to stand back and watch!!