Integrating first time broody mama + clutch with the rest of the flock... what to expect?

[MySuburbanLife]

My EE's first bout of broodiness led us to buying OE hatching eggs and now we've got 4 beautiful and healthy 4 week old babies. They've been in a partition inside of our chicken run where the other hens can see the little family but have had no physical access. There have been some chest-bumping incidents between EE mama and the other hens, but that's it.

When can I take down the partition and let them integrate into the flock? What signs of non-acceptance should I look for? Can I trust that EE mama will protect her brood from the other big girls?

 

[Judy]

I keep my mamas and chicks in with the flock from the day of hatch. The mama has always done a good job of protecting the chicks. Problem is, at four weeks your mama may very well be about to stop mothering, return to the roost without her chicks, and start laying again. Since the chicks have not been integrated, the other hens will likely attack them. The change for the mama of being moved back into the coop could also cause her to stop mothering the chicks. At this point I would keep the chicks separate from the flock til they are adult size.