Integrating question?

[Shall23]

Hey I have a mother hen who has 3 week old chicks. I’m new to letting a momma hatch eggs. At first I left them alone just in the nesting box while all the babies hatched and one of my other hens got ahold of a baby and killed it so I moved mom and babies to a dog kennel in the run with everyone else. They are 3 weeks old now and I’m wondering when am I able to let them all out of the kennel and just be with the flock?

 

[GodLovesU]

I think I started integrating mine when they were about 6-8 weeks.At first the hens would bully them so I would put them back in their brooder at night or put the hens in the run at let the babies have the option to go out.Mine didn’t have a mother,they came from a hatchery.

 

[Shall23]

Yea I’ve intergrated tractor supply chicks in with hens but I haven’t ever experienced it when they have their mom with them so I didn’t know if it was different. Like if she would protect them.

 

[Muser]

Knowing when to let them out is a tricky question. Alot of it is down to the Mother hen. Hopefully she isn't the lowest on the pecking order when she's with the other hens as this can make it more tricky. Is she defensive of the chicks, will she protect them from the other hens?

If she will, you can let them out from around 4 weeks, that way, they are fast enough to run away but can take a peck or two. Some feather pecking is expected, but any blood, remove them all and start integrating again slowly.

I had my broody in a smaller pen within my main run so the 'see but no touch' method of integration allowed the adult birds to get used to the smaller ones. This was in place from hatch until around 4 weeks when I started letting them all out together.

When I let them out, Mother hen defended the chicks and showed them where to go, what to eat, scratch etc and was still interested in looking after the chicks. I let them out in intervals, firstly a couple of minutes, then half hour, then an hour all supervised. Then I let them out all together for longer and longer periods without supervision. It went slow, but minimal fights happened.

 

[GodLovesU]

Yea I’ve intergrated tractor supply chicks in with hens but I haven’t ever experienced it when they have their mom with them so I didn’t know if it was different. Like if she would protect them.

I would think she would but I’ve never had a broody raise chicks.I would monitor them well.