Where do I go from here? UPDATE!

[chickenbrained]

First...here's my setup:



I have 4 chicks, 2 Barred Rocks and 2 games, living in the bottom section. They are approximately 1 month old. (I had to put their Momma out because she "turned" on them, pecking them unmercifully!) They are doing great! Now they think I'm their Momma!

In the top section I have a Momma (Louise) and her 4 chicks (breeds yet to be determined). These are almost 2 weeks old.

So, where do I go from here? How long should I keep them locked in the "nursery"? All of my birds are free roam pets. I'm worried about the ones without their Momma to protect them when I do let them out. And on that note, Louise seems to be very interested in the 4 older chicks. If I place her and her chicks in the bottom section, and she seems to be fine with all of them, how long would I then leave them all in the nursery? There is a small, fenced outside area they can have access to. It's just covered with chicken wire, so small snakes can still get in, so I haven't opened it up to them.

I'm heading outside now to put Louise down in the bottom to see how she takes to the older chicks. I'll post the results!

Thanks in advance for any and all advice from "those in the know"!

UPDATE: OMGoodness!! Louise was a bit confused after I put her down. Chicks in the bottom...chicks in the top...WTH? LOL! But after I put her chicks down and put some feed out she went right to town showing them where the feed was...all of them! I am so proud of her!

So, back to my original question...where do I go from here? How long should I keep them locked in the "nursery"?

 

[donrae]

I'm a fan of getting them out and with the flock as soon as possible. I'd try integrating the broody and the other littles and see how that goes. I'd feel okay about putting the broody and her chicks with the main flock any time now, momma will take care of the chicks. It's the chicks with no momma that would be the most at risk with the older birds. If your broody hen is accepting of them also, she may help protect them from the larger birds in the flock. I'm leery of putting unprotected littles in a flock of mature birds, I've lost chicks that way in the past.