Advice needed: removing chicks from hen

[Elliebeans]

Hi,

I have a two first time Silkie mother with some nearly four week old chicks she hatched from eggs I put under her. She hatched out 11, I took 8 from her after they hatched to raise myself and left her with 3. One has since died and I had to take 1 out last night because it seems to be injured. The chicks outside are smaller and less developed than their inside counterparts despite being fed the same feed.
One has 3 babies (Araucana, Australorp and RIR and while they do not have any hatch mates inside with me to compare them to they all seem a bit under developed for their age too, but otherwise healthy enough.

I want to take the babies off her to raise myself to help their development and give them the best chance possible at survival. Is there a best way to remove them all from their mothers to alleviate distress? I'm guessing it would be better to remove them at night when they are sleeping?
Anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? What should I do with the hens after the chicks are gone?

Thank you!

 

[azygous]

Why not wait another week or two? They are getting close to the natural weaning age, and they should be able to catch up to the other chicks in time.

I doubt you would see much gain by taking them a week or two early.

Do you have a plan for integrating the indoor brooded chicks? They should be getting daily exposure to the flock by this age to ease them into it.

 

[Elliebeans]

Why not wait another week or two? They are getting close to the natural weaning age, and they should be able to catch up to the other chicks in time.

I doubt you would see much gain by taking them a week or two early.

Do you have a plan for integrating the indoor brooded chicks? They should be getting daily exposure to the flock by this age to ease them into it.

I might leave the 3 bigger breeds with mum, it's the bantams I'm most concerned about. Especially if something happens to the injured one, I'm concerned about leaving just the one chick with her. Mostly it would make me feel more comfortable having them in with me.

I am only planning on keeping a couple of hens from the inside lot when I know what they are and selling the others. I have a separate run and coop they can go in when they are old enough to go outside and am planning on introducing the ones I am keeping to the rest of the flock by putting them in a pen within the run for increasing amounts of time before letting them in with the others.

 

[EggWalrus]

Imho, it's always best to let the mother raise them. There is no way any human can be there for them and teach them "chicken things" like a Momma chicken can do. It's too late for the ones you've taken away. But next time try letting the Momma's raise them. They are a lot better at it than we are.
You'd be surprised!