How do I integrate 6 wk chick with flock

[Sunshine77]

Hi: We have two silkies, one a hen and one a rooster. We also have two buff laced polish hens. The silkie has a 6 week old chick. Those two are separated from the rest. However...the hen seems quite anxious to rejoin her flock....but I worry that the chick is too small and may get hurt..or worse. How do I handle this?

 

[PunkinPeep]

I like to introduce new chicks to the flock by placing a cage (my friend uses a milk crate turned upsidedown) or something similar which allows the chick to pass in and out, but with an opening too small to allow adult chickens to follow if the chick wants to hide away from the big chickens. Inside this enclosure, you can place chick feed and water to make sure that the chick isn't pushed away from feed. As the chick feels more comfortable, she will most likely start hanging out outside the cage/milk crate.

At six weeks, mother hens are often done coddling their young and want to get back to regular life, and i would not delay that integration anymore if you don't have to.

The secret for me is to give the chick a safe place to run to if it needs to, and it will.

Hope that helps.

P.S