[jackie]

my hen has been isolated for two and a half days so far as she was broody. when should i put her back with the others? should i wait for her to start laying again or should i put her back in now? ive just got a feeling she's gonna go straight back in the nest box!

[joyfull]

if you let her out and she goes straight back into the nest box then pick her up and place her in her cage again, keep doing this and she will get the idea eventually 

[hillfooter]

The key is not isolating them to discourage them from sitting by keeping them cool and well ventillated.  This is best done by isolating them in a broody box.  A good broody box has a wood grill ventillated floor with no nesting material so their abdomens are cooled if they try to sit.

You are just going to have to judge the time you need to keep them in these conditions before the instinct passes.  There's no magic time when this will happen, some birds will only need a couple of days whereas others a week or more depends on the bird and how well the set is established before you start the treatment.  Naturally they shouldn't sit for more than 3 - 4 weeks.

HF