Hello from Tasmania Australia. Two hens with chicks

[Brookeandmissy]

Hi everyone, we are new at this so would like some help on what to do as we have two hens who both have chicks.
One chick is a week older than the other five. When I tried to put Missy and her chick in with the flock she got attacked by a large hen (Evil) who did not go broody but watched as she sat on her eggs!
I now have both hens, Missy only has the one chick and Brooke has five. where they can see each other.They both have little houses and areas that are safe from other hens or predators with netting over the top.
At what age could I expect the mother hens to want to go back to the flock. At the moment they cannot free range but are in the enclosures day and night with the chicks.
Another question, Missy has started to lay again but, we were told it was not safe to eat her eggs as if she had been eating "chick starter" the medication in the eggs might give us a bad reaction....true or false?

I look forward to receivng some really helpful replies so, thanks for your help in advance!

Pamela
Dromedary, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi
Glad you joined the flock. I would try posting your question in this section https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/18/chicken-behaviors-and-egglaying. Also yes I do believe the medicated chick starter is not good for humans as it can get passed through into the egg. Wishing you the very best of luck with your hens and chicks

 

[appps]

Hi Pamela, drop by and say hi on the Aussie thread too. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-that-funny-little-island/16020#post_14172257

Were just talking about the different medicated feeds a couple pages back.

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

We're glad to have you.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Here is a nice broody hen thread you might want to ask about your girls on. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread If the one hen is laying already, it sounds like the chicks must be pretty old? From what you said, the two small pens are where they interact with the flock and each other? You might try opening the small pens during the day and letting them gradually go out among the flock, if the two mothers still fight might try alternating them ... it depends on the hen but ime hens will often start taking the chicks back to the roost with the other birds as early as 3-4 weeks, with the whole family winding up roosting with the flock.
X3 with the eggs, it depends on what specific medication was in the feed you were feeding, it should say on the bag if you can find that out someone should be able to tell you what is recommended.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

X2 on Kelsie. I'm not sure what to say about the food.

It really depends on the bird as far as when she'll stop being broody. Some don't stop for up to 10 weeks while other's quit in their first week.

Best of luck!

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Good luck with your flock and welcome to ours!

 

[sunflour]

Glad you joined us.