Hen raising chicks with flock

[StepfordCuckoos]

Question: I currently have a momma sitting on an egg that should hatch soon. Previously, we have not allowed the hens/chicks to be with the flock after hatching. I've just been too much of a worrier to let that happen. Our issue with that, though, is reintegrating the chick/hen back into the flock once the chick is big enough. Do you all let your hens stay with the flock as they raise their chick? Our chickens are not free range, but they do have a do size run to roam around in. We have a tarp for added shade and even a little miniature coop they all like to go under for dust baths.

The hen hatching the chick is quite tiny. She's a silkie and is very small. We expect the chick to be as well because it is primarily bantams in this coop, and the egg we're hatching is a silkie egg. We hatched one chick previously from this flock and he's a small guy as well. So the size also has me a bit worried.

Do you guys find it safe to let momma raise her chick with the flock? Or would the other birds attack the little one?

 

[Aunt Angus]

I usually separate them for a week or two, but others just let mama do her thing with the flock. She'll protect any babies. It's also helpful if your run is cluttered with lots of places where babies can hide.

I always use Silkies to raise babies. They've always done a great job, and have held their own even with my big girls!

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I don’t have experience with Silkies in particular but I let my hens raise chicks with the flock all the time and it works out fine. If she only has one chick it will be easy for her to keep track of her baby and protect it from the rest of the flock. I agree with making sure there is clutter in the run so the baby can hide if needed.

Unless your run is too small for the flock I don’t think the other chickens will attack the baby. Most chickens stay away from a protective mama hen.

 

[WIchickMama]

I am currently dealing with this and had to section off part of our run during to one more aggressive hen. Mama hen has 5 and it was too much for her to manage in the beginning. They are 10 days old now. We have been putting one hen in with her at a time to get used to being around the chicks. (They can see and hear them all day long) yesterday we opened up her enclosure and they all hung out in the run together for 20 min while the aggressive hen was laying and it was good. She took the chicks back when she had enough. They will be 2 weeks Friday, our feed store owner said she would keep them separate for 3-4 weeks with the aggressive hen or remove the hen, so I have a choice to make.

 

[Carters Chick House]

Question: I currently have a momma sitting on an egg that should hatch soon. Previously, we have not allowed the hens/chicks to be with the flock after hatching. I've just been too much of a worrier to let that happen. Our issue with that, though, is reintegrating the chick/hen back into the flock once the chick is big enough. Do you all let your hens stay with the flock as they raise their chick? Our chickens are not free range, but they do have a do size run to roam around in. We have a tarp for added shade and even a little miniature coop they all like to go under for dust baths.

The hen hatching the chick is quite tiny. She's a silkie and is very small. We expect the chick to be as well because it is primarily bantams in this coop, and the egg we're hatching is a silkie egg. We hatched one chick previously from this flock and he's a small guy as well. So the size also has me a bit worried.

Do you guys find it safe to let momma raise her chick with the flock? Or would the other birds attack the little one?

This is my 2nd year with chickens of my own. I've been around chickens since age 10 and finally have this small flock. Three buff orp., two buff Brahma, 3 dark Brahma, One partridge cochin hen, One partridge cochin roo, and 1 dark Brahma roo. Oh..and a molted Japanese bantam hen. The bantam hen has sat on two cochin eggs which hatched over Easter weekend. Today they are 2 weeks old. I'm super excited.