Broody hen with 6 week old chicks, Ready to join the flock????????????

[happyhens44]

I was wondering if my broody with her 2, 6 week old chicks are ready to join the flock, They are pretty much fully feathered. And They have been with her mama in a cage, For 4 weeks, So the flock doesnt really pick on them. And mama isnt showing much interest in them anymore, Mama is laying again (started 3 days ago) and she doesnt make the broody sound anymore, and she doesnt care if they follow her or not, She will walk away from them. I think the mot she will do for them is sit on them at night and thats it.

the broody and her 2 chicks are running with the main flock right now, and eatting with them, I think there ready Do you?

 

[oesdog]

It does sound like they are ready to go in. - I never put mine in with the big girls until they were about 16 weeks I think ( Can;t remember exactly. ) My Hen didn;t stop brooding until they were 18 weeks and they all went everywhere together up until the chicks were about 20/21 weeks when the boys started doing boy things! Then their momma didn;t want them anymore.

It would be good if you got yours intergrated into the flock earlier. - I think you need to maybe put them all together during the daytime and watch them first. I did that with mine and it worked out well.

Good luck

My broody hen with 18 week old chicks.

Oesdog

 

[happyhens44]

Mine have been joining the main flock since 4 weeks old. But I would put them away at night.

 

[Lil_Miss_Farmer_Chick]

I have 2 hens sharing the raising of 6 chicks that are a few days shy of 4 weeks old. They made the transition today to being fully integrated with the rest of the flock. We had a baby gate segregating them from the flock, but the others were always able to go in to visit. This morning 3 of the chicks were over the baby gate and happily scratching away with the rest. So I opened a side for them go in and out of the baby gate area. Tonight when I checked on them, they were back in the gated area with their mommas settling down for the night. I'm not sure how your flock is, but this is what we have experienced with ours. Do what you feel in your gut, it is rarely wrong.

 

[aussieheelr]

My broody went back with them around day 2. Nobody messed with her, even though she is the smallest being the cochin in a LF flock. She brooded them until about 8 weeks and was done and everyone was already in the flock pecking order so there were no issues.