housing broody hen and chicks with 5 week old chicks

I have a broody momma that I am going to put back into the coop. Her babies will be 5 weeks old in my chick pen when I add the next momma and her and the newborns. Will this be disaster? I do not have the option of another confined pen.

tufts said:

I have a broody momma that I am going to put back into the coop. Her babies will be 5 weeks old in my chick pen when I add the next momma and her and the newborns. Will this be disaster? I do not have the option of another confined pen.

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Could be?? I had some chicks to get in the pen of a new mom with chicks--(a 4 section broody pen) through a small hole between the sections. The new broody mom killed all of them. Some hens don't want nothing around their babies---some do not mind. Just watch them close if you do this. I wouldn't but I have already got other pens.

Oh my! I'm sorry!

I think it would be better to put the chicks with the mama in with the big girls, but section off part of the run with a one way gate, that the chicks can get through but bigger birds cannot. I recently used lattice panels and it worked great.

I would not add to the new mamma, that might be a deadly wreck.

I wait till my Chicks are 3 weeks old before I put my Hen and her Chicks back into the flock...I have never had an issue..

Try it...You won't know till you try?...


Best of luck !....

Cheers!

tufts said:

I have a broody momma that I am going to put back into the coop. Her babies will be 5 weeks old in my chick pen when I add the next momma and her and the newborns. Will this be disaster? I do not have the option of another confined pen.

Click to expand...

Hi, welcome to BYC!

My broody's raise their young in the coop with all the other chickens. I block her in for a few day to make her chicks know she is mama. And when I let her out to mingle, I pay attention to what happens with the other hens. Most will come by and check things out. There will be an occasional teen girl with something to prove, usually still climbing her own way up the ladder. I may do a little schooling if it persists. No problem with my cockerel going after them.

However, if other chicks of the same age get near her she commences to pecking as fast as possible and even get's her own chicks sometimes.

By the time the broody's chicks are 5 weeks old, they have already learned their place in the flock... as during that time, when there was danger she led them away and they know to flee danger. I have plenty of escape routes and my birds are free range. So getting cornered in tight quarters is not a concern for me.

Also... those 5 weeks olds will 100% put the beat down on the younger chicks. The pecking order is alive and well at that age. Move the older ones out to your big coop and give your fresh mama a chance to raise hers in peace. And maybe let them integrate sooner... guess it depends on your set up.

Oh... I probably need to see a pic to come up with any helpful suggestions!

My broody hatched her clutch of eggs and had four chicks. She took them over to the flock the next day after hatching and they were integrated with no problems at all. She kept watch and the other birds respected her "broody" status and were respectful of the chicks. As they grew, they fit right in. It was the easiest integration I have done!