My last 6 chicks I raised in the house in a brooder, and did not let them have scratch until they were outside and close to 9 weeks old or so. I recently got 7 more chicks, and when they were about a week old, one of my pullets went broody. We were able to slip the chicks to her, and a week into it, she is being a great mom. We took down the barrier that was keeping them confined to the coop, and she started taking them outside to forage and explore. There really is no way to keep them from the scratch when I give it to the other chickens, and the momma hen is encouraging them to come eat it. As long as they are not getting much, that should be okay, right?
