We have our first chicks hatched under a hen (previously we were buying chicks). Mom (Hazel) had access in and out of her own little house all during brooding and so stayed "in touch" with the other hens and rooster. Now I have poultry netting up so she can run around outside with her chicks. All are healthy and Hazel is protective. The other hens and rooster have seen them through the poultry netting the past few days. Would the chicks and mom be safe with the flock at this point? And the rooster? He's a good boy. He doesn't like me, at all, but he's VERY protective of his girls and seems to understand that the babies are now a part of his duty, but I can't know for sure and already made one mistake. I put another broody hen (Abby) in with Hazel and when Abby's eggs started to hatch there was trouble. I heard a commotion in the house, opened the door and Abby was off the nest, which had one dead, bloodied chick in it, and she had one of Hazel's chicks in her beak, shaking it to death. Hazel was trying to protect her other chicks and couldn't do anything. I kicked Abby out, took her eggs, which were in the process of hatching, and stuck them under another hen who successfully hatched them in another segregated house. I don't know if Abby is aggressive and will kill chicks or if I created a situation where she felt threatened by Hazel's chicks? Abby is Dark Cornish, Hazel is Partridge Rock. We'd heard Partridge Rocks were good setters and Hazel is perfect. I know Hazel, though, and she wants to stretch her legs and go free with her chicks. She's getting "stir-crazy". But I don't want to risk the babies just yet if it's too dangerous.