Can I put the chicks with my hen?

[Jared Vera]

So, I have 8 chicks in the brooder and I have 2 baby chicks with my hen. The hen has the two (4 days and 3 days old) and in my house I have 8 of them (2 three week olds, 4 two week olds, and 2 one week olds) can I put the 8 chicks with the hen?

 

[MarkJr]

They are too old to bond with the hen, and she won’t accept them. Get them full feathered (about 4 weeks) and introduce them like any other chicken. Put the brooder in coop. Week of look don’t touch. Then make a door sized so chicks can run through, but hen cannot. They will venture out and mingle. Retreating if needed. Also supply hiding spots that chicks can get away from hen further away from brooder (run, across coop, etc)

You will need multiple feeder and water stations. @aart has a handy run down that covers it in better detail I believe

 

[CluckerFamily]

I agree with @MarkJr, they are too old, the hen may even attack them badly.
I would wait for them to get all their feathers and then integrate them into the flock.

 

[aart]

@aart has a handy run down that covers it in better detail I believe

These tips about......?
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Jared Vera]

They are too old to bond with the hen, and she won’t accept them. Get them full feathered (about 4 weeks) and introduce them like any other chicken. Put the brooder in coop. Week of look don’t touch. Then make a door sized so chicks can run through, but hen cannot. They will venture out and mingle. Retreating if needed. Also supply hiding spots that chicks can get away from hen further away from brooder (run, across coop, etc)

You will need multiple feeder and water stations. @aart has a handy run down that covers it in better detail I believe

Could I still try and put some with her?

 

[CluckerFamily]

Don't leave them unsupervised. There will be an massacre. The hen won't protect them from the others since they weren't hers, hens imprint on chicks within the first 24hours. It is never a good idea to just put new members into the coop, they should be slowly integrated. It is going to be hard on you to try to gather the chickens when they are running away from the flock and the flock is chasing them and harming them.

 

[MarkJr]

These tips about......?
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

Those are them!

 

[HappyClucker7]

I would not try to put the chicks with her. They are too old to bond with her, and she might attack or even kill them. Especially since she already has chicks. She won't want any intruders near her.

 

[aart]

Could I still try and put some with her?

Did you miss this part?

They are too old to bond with the hen, and she won’t accept them.

Need to go thru the integration process, or something like that, that I outlined in my post above.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Hens will kill chicks that aren't theirs, and it's not pretty, clean or quick. Trust me, I've seen it happen when I have multiple mama's free range