I raise silkies ....I keep my broody/ incubating moms indoor with me so as to catch any problems and the chicks will also know me as head of the flock. After 7 days mom goes into her own small house and area that is fenced off from the others. The other hens can see her at all times. After 5 weeks if mom has not let me know she wants out of the penned area then I will leave open a gate to that area....while I sit there on a chair and watch. If she decides to bring out her chicks and peck around ..I will stay and watch till she is comfortable and I can set any pushy hen in her place at that time. From this time on mom will take her babes into their own house or in with the others...its her choice.
If she decides to sleep with her chicks in their own house then much later on, I will just place them all in the main house , with the others just before mom is going to release them on their own.
Now the one exception was mama Hope...my top hen...I placed her in the chick rearing house with her babes..2 weeks later she jumped the fence came to the back door and got me, had me open the gate, took her babes to eat with the others, and that night she was the first to walk the ramp with scared babes in tow.. ..right in to the main hen house! All she did was pause to look at all the other females as if to say, " touch may babies and die!" It was time to roost and I had to pick up each hen and place them back into the main coop!!! All was well from then on.
As for food I have heard that there is natural chick starter. I would go on line. For now Go ahead and add in boiled egg , mashed fresh fruits, steamed veggies , shredded fresh zucchini , squash and any crawling critters you can find...dont forget grit. All my moms with chicks get a plate full..2xs a day- of the above during the time they are indoors with me.
