What a nice little momma and chickies! As far as how long she stays in momma-mode, it depends on the hen... and her hormone levels. You could fix up an outdoor pen with a simple box house inside... sort of a chicken tractor. This would, by default, prolong her mothering days. I do this with my broodies and it works well. When they start getting cramped, I begin letting them free range with momma in the afternoons and then lure them back into the pen with crumbled hard boiled egg. Having the tractor located in the chicken yard helps the hen to keep her place in the flock and lets the other hens and the chicks get used to each other safely. Eventually, momma will remember that she is a hen with a LIFE, for goodness sakes! She may or may not start taking them into the big house at night. You kind of just have to play it by ear. She won't want to leave them until they are fully feathered and by then the weather will be warm enough that they won't need her at night. Usually by this time they learn to stay away from any mean hens you may have. So if she abandons them, they will still be okay in the chicken tractor until they get older. If they don't start using the big house on their own by fall, you may have to put them in a dog crate or the like for a couple of days INSIDE the chicken house. That way they will accept it as home. I've never had a brood of chicks that didn't do just fine. I've lost the odd hatchery chick, but my Sussex hens always raised every chick they hatched. They teach their babies well and equip them for real life. I much prefer natural incubation. Good luck with them and if something comes up that worries you, be sure to post about it. You might also visit Velvet Sparrow's site. I think you know how to get there, but I'll post the link anyhow. Here is a link that might be useful: Velvet Sparrow's Website - Bookmark it, folks!

Dear Succulent Lover: In the invaluable little book titled: 101 Essential Tips for Cacti and Succulents published by DK, it says that raised beds and sloping mounds are an ideal way to plant succulents and cacti. Choose soil that is free-draining and add even more small rocks and coarse sand to improve drainage. Hens & Chicks and all other succulents can't stand to be in any standing water. It's OK if it rains, but the moisture must drain away as fast as possible. I grow mine in troughs made of hypertufa, the troughs have large drainage holes in the bottom and I raise them above the ground with two or three bricks. This way, no water stands in contact with the roots for any length of time. Hope this helps, good luck!

In the spring, Sempervivums make new rosettes that grow on long thin stalks (rhizomes), sometimes several inches long. These can be removed, and potted. The larger the rosettes are when removed, the better, because there will be more stored water to tide the plant over while it makes new roots. I don't leave very much of the rhizome when removing pups. It is a specialized kind of root from Mom. Eventually, the pup will have to make its own roots, and these will form directly under the rosette. You can just lay them down on the ground, and they will root quickly in the spring.

...and 'stalks' get really long (etoliated) if not enough light/sun. That's why outdoor ones, in sunny location, are thriving. Shady location with some sun is better than indoor, but you can see what's best. Watering them more will not help. They are hardy (to zone 4, even lower) and should spend whole year outdoors. Rina