For those with experience integrating broody & chicks...

[mommto3kiddos]

I need some advice on integrating my broody and chicks back into our main coop and flock.. The chicks will be 6 weeks old this coming Tuesday and have about outgrown their brooder.. They are also about the same size as mom (shes a banty & they are standard size chicks).. I have 6 other standard size hens in my flock.

My broody was removed about 2 weeks after she went broody b/c she stole the "favorite" nest box and refused to move and was getting her head pecked.. She is lowest on the "whos the boss" list.. But I must say she has grown some gusto since becoming a mom!

Over the past week I have allowed her and the chicks to range in the yard with the other hens.. Only 2 of my other hens have shown interest and challenged her and pecked and whopped the chicks.. But the go up, boss the chick, chick runs away and they loose interest!

My concern is moving them into the coop all together. The run and coop is big enough, but they will be confined so Im nervous.. Should I wait till they are bigger. Should I just bite the bullet and go ahead and put them in together.. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated.. I just have to move them somewere as there brooder is slowly closing in on them..

 

[wbruder17]

With only 6 other hens, I would think they would be fine. Especially with Mama and several chicks. There is always safety in numbers. If your run is bbig enough, you could put a dog crate or something inside the coop and let the mama and babies sleep in there at night and range during the day. Then, when they are comfortable, they will start to put themselves to bed with the big girls. This is what I do and I've never had a problem adding chicks, and I have 15 grown hens.

Otherwise, honestly, if there is enough room and enough food, combined with the safety in numbers for the chicks, id say you can do it and they should be ok, with the typical amoiunt of pecking order going on.

Feed the big giirls some treats when you puut them together and the big girls will be too busy eating to notice. Or put them iin the coop at night while the big girls are sleeping and all will probably be fine in the morning. Just make sure you let them out early so they are not crowded inside and prone to pick on each other.

 

[Wnunezcruz]

I recently had this issue. I have a silkie hen that hatched standard chicks. They are now about 5 weeks old. I introduced them into our flock by putting the chicks and broody in a pen or crate inside the flocks shelter for about a week and then I et them out and they ate doing fine. Just keep an eye out for predators.