Chick problems?

[Farm life101]

So I have 5 chicks and one of them is with a mama hen and they are all on my porch. The 4 chicks are in a tote and the one with the hen is free roam on the porch. The chicks get along great but the one with the hen has separation issues and the hen has tried to kill the other chicks. Is it a good idea to put the all 5 chicks in a tote in our chicken coop with all the other chickens and the mama hen but have it to were the tote is secure to wear a chicken can’t get in and the chicks can’t get out. Or will the mama hen hurt herself trying to get to her chick or worse the chick get hurt trying to get to her because the chick has hurt herself before trying to get out of cage.

 

[red horse ranch]

I've done what you are considering many times. A hen with one chick is a pain in the butt! I would put her lone chick in with the others but I would keep all the chicks separate until the hen and lone chick is adjusted to being separated. If they can see each other it's harder to break the hen from her brooding mindset. The chick will adjust a lot faster than she will and will probably be glad to have some friends.

 

[Skipper81]

Hello where do you live and how old are your chicks this will help alot because baby chicks need heat for the first month or so. I think they get feathers around 25-30 days
Edit: I see your in Florida but it depends on age of chicks and your night temps
Is this mama hen surrogate mom or are these her babies

 

[Farm life101]

The one with her she hatched the other ones we got from farm and pet outlet. Right now the coldest night we have had since we got them was around 70 degrees the normal is about 77. All of the chicks are about 2 weeks old

Hello where do you live and how old are your chicks this will help alot because baby chicks need heat for the first month or so. I think they get feathers around 25-30 days
Edit: I see your in Florida but it depends on age of chicks and your night temps
Is this mama hen surrogate mom or are these her babies

 

[Skipper81]

I would keep her girl with her and try to introduce others in a few weeks put there cage so mama will get used to talking with the other 4 with no contact

 

[lazy gardener]

Your choice:

Leave mama hen with her baby, Keep the others separate. This is what I'd do.

Pull Mama's chick and put it with the others. I can't see the benefit of this.

Why is Mama hen and her chick on the porch with your hatchery chicks? How old are the hatchery chicks, and how old is the chick with MH?

Check out @azygous panic room set up regarding integrating chicks into a flock of adults. Is your coop big enough to do this? You need at least 4 s.f./bird, even more room than that (IMO) if integrating chicks, dealing with a broody, integrating older birds, or if you have a roo.

 

[azygous]

You are already pretty much decided to put all five chicks together in a brooder pen in the coop where they can be brooded safely in proximity to the mother hen.

Rig the pen with several small chick-size openings, and after around a week or so, you can begin to let the chicks come out of their safe pen using those small openings. By this time, the mother hen may have gotten used to the four strange chicks, and she may even permit them to join her chick under her. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, the panic room will serve as a safe refuge for all the chicks, and they won't hesitate to run into it if they need to flee to safety.

 

[Farm life101]

Ok thank you all very much for you input