Help! How to introduce multiple hens with chicks to each other and the rest of the flock?

[Pardeechick]

Advise needed! Back story, my small flock, 1 Roo and 5 hens have been together about 1 year, no real issues until my girl Paulie went broody this Spring. I tried to break her, but due to work and some health issues, in the end, gave up and let her sit on the eggs she had gathered together. About 1 week later, dominant hen Rosalie stole her nest. Paulie just gathered more eggs and started again. Next week Paulie's buddy Ronnie went broody on me also. Long story short, I now have three mama's with chicks about 1-3 weeks apart in age. Dominant hen Rosalee is in main coop with her two 4week old chicks, my other two hens and my rooster. Moved Paulie and her three 3 week old chicks into a smaller coop. Poor Ronnie is currently in a dog crate with her two 1 week old chicks. Obviously not an ideal situation. Wondering how to best reintroduce the hens and chicks to each other. Normally my chickens free-range my 10 acres and just go in the coop and run at night. I have just started letting Rosalee and the two 4 week chicks free range with my roo and other two hens. So far all is well on that front. Am thinking about letting Paulie and her 3 chicks out at least in the evenings when I can see what's happening. Any advise on how best to get them all back in the big coop? Timing? I know I was crazy to let this situation happen, but now I need help on the best way to deal with it. My peaceful chicken kingdom is in chaos right now!

 

[Labelles Velders]

Hello! My broody hen was separated in the house while she incubated and hatched her eggs. When I brought her outside with her chicks for the first time, she fought with the other hens and eventually stopped. Her and her chicks ranged and fed, and when night came, just gathered her chicks under her on the floor in the coop, where she hadn’t been for a month. She recognized where she used to sleep.

I recommend you let her and the chicks out, at first in the evening supervised, and I would expect her to huddle up for the night either in the big coop or where she is now.

 

[Mrs. K]

The longer the time is after the hatch, the weaker the broody hormones become. You want this introduction when those hormone are flying high. I think I would at least see how it goes out free ranging, but I would get them back together ASAP...but a lot depends on the size of your set up, and how that space is arranged.

 

[Pardeechick]

Hello! My broody hen was separated in the house while she incubated and hatched her eggs. When I brought her outside with her chicks for the first time, she fought with the other hens and eventually stopped. Her and her chicks ranged and fed, and when night came, just gathered her chicks under her on the floor in the coop, where she hadn’t been for a month. She recognized where she used to sleep.

I recommend you let her and the chicks out, at first in the evening supervised, and I would expect her to huddle up for the night either in the big coop or where she is now.

Thank you! I am going to let Paulie and her 3 chicks out tonight, supervised and see how it goes. The other chickens have been circling the smaller coop that she is in, so they have been exposed to each other this last week. Fingers crossed!

 

[Pardeechick]

The longer the time is after the hatch, the weaker the broody hormones become. You want this introduction when those hormone are flying high. I think I would at least see how it goes out free ranging, but I would get them back together ASAP...but a lot depends on the size of your set up, and how that space is arranged.

Hi! Thank you for the reply, not sure I understand fully what you mean by "their hormones flying high". Are the hens less likely to attack the chicks that aren't theirs? My set up is a fairly large coop that can easily accommodate 15-18 chickens. The attached run is probably 20' x 20'. I basically open the door in the morning and let the chickens free range all day. Food and water both available to them in the run and also a secondary set up near my house. (They like to shelter in the bushes from the worst of the heat.) They have 10 acres to roam, but typically stay in about a 2 acre range. Hoping the amount of room will make things easier.

 

[Mrs. K]

When I said the "Hormones are flying high" what I meant is that is when a broody hen will most strongly defend her chicks from another hen. If you wait much longer, the broody hormone will be dropping, and when other hens want to attack the chicks, she will have "forgotten" they are her chicks to defend. The chicks are pretty much defenseless.

What you need to have happen, is for the other broody hen to drive off the foreign chicks to her, AND have their broody mom protect them from being killed. This alerts the chicks, that in chicken society, there are birds you need to avoid. And after a skirmish or two, I would expect this to sort out, IF you do not wait too long to do it.

People tend to want to wait until the chicks are bigger and stronger. But until they are full size, they are no match for an adult hen. Getting this into the flock with their mother is still very broody, is key. She can and will defend them even if they are tiny. In fact that tinier they are the better.


Mrs K

 

[aart]

I think the biggest thing with bringing broodies back in to the flock is that they have to re-establish their place in the pecking order...having that 'broody fierce' running high helps with that as much or more than protecting the chicks.

My set up is a fairly large coop that can easily accommodate 15-18 chickens. The attached run is probably 20' x 20'.

How big is coop in feet by feet?

Moved Paulie and her three 3 week old chicks into a smaller coop. Poor Ronnie is currently in a dog crate with her two 1 week old chicks.

Where is small coop, and the crate, located in relation to main coop and run?
Would be good if small coop was right next to main coop and run and if crate was inside main coop.
I'd let them all out range and they will go back to their respective housing to sleep.

 

[centrarchid]

Biggest challenge for me when running multiple broody hens involves roosting arrangements. When chicks still roosting on ground, I like to provide animal carriers or overturned buckets as roosting sites. The nesting sites are kept at least a few feet apart to reduce conflicts over roosting sites. As broods start roosting up I make so broody hens can have roosts that physically dispersed by at least a few feet.

 

[Pardeechick]

When I said the "Hormones are flying high" what I meant is that is when a broody hen will most strongly defend her chicks from another hen. If you wait much longer, the broody hormone will be dropping, and when other hens want to attack the chicks, she will have "forgotten" they are her chicks to defend. The chicks are pretty much defenseless.

What you need to have happen, is for the other broody hen to drive off the foreign chicks to her, AND have their broody mom protect them from being killed. This alerts the chicks, that in chicken society, there are birds you need to avoid. And after a skirmish or two, I would expect this to sort out, IF you do not wait too long to do it.

People tend to want to wait until the chicks are bigger and stronger. But until they are full size, they are no match for an adult hen. Getting this into the flock with their mother is still very broody, is key. She can and will defend them even if they are tiny. In fact that tinier they are the better.


Mrs K

Thank you! I took your advice and let the second broody out to free range all weekend. There were a few slight encounters, but for the most part, the two broodies kept to separate sections in my yard. They saw each other, but only engaged once. The other hens have come close, but so far, both broody hens are keeping all other hens away from their chicks. Only my rooster has been allowed near them. Going to let my 3rd broody join the mix this next weekend!

 

[Pardeechick]

I think the biggest thing with bringing broodies back in to the flock is that they have to re-establish their place in the pecking order...having that 'broody fierce' running high helps with that as much or more than protecting the chicks.

How big is coop in feet by feet?

Where is small coop, and the crate, located in relation to main coop and run?
Would be good if small coop was right next to main coop and run and if crate was inside main coop.
I'd let them all out range and they will go back to their respective housing to sleep.

Hello,

Coop is about 10x10x8, 10 nesting boxes. Attached run area is probably 20x20. However, they all get out to free range all day. I have 3 dogs on the property that do well with the chickens, and also give them added protection. Plus my husband works from home. Small coop is probably about 50 ft away, but definitely in the area the chickens roam around in. So far, you are correct, one hen is taking her chicks into the big coop at night, the second is going back into the little coop. My third hen is currently confined to a small tractor. Her chicks are only 1 week old. Plan on starting to let them out this weekend.