3 week-old chick and mamma hen in outside coop...is this ok??

[Chicken Diva]

I have a 3 week-old chick who has been free-ranging with it's mamma for the last few days. The momma hen seems conflicted...she wants to stay with her flock but has parental responsibilities holding her back. The other chickens and our roo seem to have accepted the baby as a part of the flock...is it ok for mamma and baby to stay with the flock full- time in the outside coop? I have been putting mamma and baby up at night but they seem to want to stay with the rest of the flock. They have a separate food and water since the baby still needs starter food. This is my first away so I want to make sure I am doing everything right. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

 

[Judy]

I've had 6 or 7 broodies / mamas raise their chicks in with the flock, including rosters. I've never separated mama and baby chicks, at least not after the chicks were a couple of days old. This way, as you say, they are already integrated when the mama stops mothering them. Not that things can't go wrong, they can -- but if they are already getting along, I wouldn't worry about it, I'd just let them do their thing.

 

[Chicken Diva]

Ok cool....thanks. They seem to be getting along great. Baby even got up on the roost with the other hens last night when it was time to go to sleep.

 

[poseygrace]

Ditto. Raising it with the flock from the start will save a lot of trouble later.