How to combine two sets of chicks with the rest of the flock?

[citychicks99]

We had two broodies doing a staggered hatch that made things pretty complicated. A week and a half ago mama #1 hatched 4 chicks and I moved them into a temp small area with adjustable fencing.

Mama #2 has two chicks now that are still relatively young. One just hatched yesterday and the other one hatched on Monday. I'd like to have the chicks at least two weeks old before integrating with the flock as the rest of the flock isn't super friendly.

We have a dog crate in the coop that ideally I would like for the two mamas and chicks to sleep in.

I tried letting mama #1 and her chicks out today but they seemed confused and stayed in their small pen. I was hoping to get them to move out and sleep in the dog crate and put mama #2 and her chicks in mama #1's existing space but they seem attached to that area. Mama #2 is currently in the dog crate so I'm not sure if I how to handle this.

How can I eventually combine everyone to sleep in the same coop and merge with the flock?

 

[BDutch]

It depends on the size of the run, and the number of hiding places how easy it will be to integrate the mama with the chicks.
If its not crowded, and the other chickens are quite friendly it should not be a problem. But do set chick feed and water in several places so arguing about food won’t occur too much.

10 days is not awkward if there is plenty of space and mama-#1 is defends her chicks well.

I gather mama 1 and chicks have a nestbox in the coop? How do you plan to move them?
Is there no ramp? That might be difficult to figure out for the little ones.

 

[citychicks99]

It depends on the size of the run, and the number of hiding places how easy it will be to integrate the mama with the chicks.
If its not crowded, and the other chickens are quite friendly it should not be a problem. But do set chick feed and water in several places so arguing about food won’t occur too much.

10 days is not awkward if there is plenty of space and mama-#1 is defends her chicks well.

I gather mama 1 and chicks have a nestbox in the coop? How do you plan to move them?
Is there no ramp? That might be difficult to figure out for the little ones.

Their run is pretty much most of my yard so the space is pretty big, but the coop is designed awkwardly as we didn't know what we were doing and hadn't factored in chicks at the time. These last two days, I let mama #1 and her chicks out to free range while mama #2 stays in the dog crate with her chicks. At night, mama #1 has been abandoning her chicks to sleep on top of the dog crate and the chicks have been left to sleep with mama #2 who pecks at them at first but takes them in. Mama #1 doesn't even roost with the other chickens on the regular roosting area, she likes her own space apparently. We have a lower roosting area that their mama roosted with them when they were chicks but there's a hen there they don't like. I'm not sure what would happen if I move mama #2 into the dog crate with everybody at night. The two mamas got into a fight yesterday morning when I let everybody out.

 

[BDutch]

If there are enough possibilities to stay safe and sheltered for the mama’s and chicks, you can let the mana’s figure it out by themselves.
That the most easy thing to do. But if you have casualties (wounds) you need to interfere.

 

[citychicks99]

If there are enough possibilities to stay safe and sheltered for the mama’s and chicks, you can let the mana’s figure it out by themselves.
That the most easy thing to do. But if you have casualties (wounds) you need to interfere.

I tried letting mama #2 and her chicks out again and she seems afraid to leave the coop. She ran out of the coop screaming then quickly ran back in and stayed in there pecking at the floor for a bit. She's subordinate to her sister even before brooding I think. I watched mama #1 attack the youngest one that was hatched on Friday and she was relentless, looking like she wanted to hurt her. Mama #2 defended her chicks of course but she also accidentally stepped on one. I may just fence them off in their own area until the chicks are old enough to defend themselves.