Integration with Mama Hen

[Broody_Mama]

We recently home hatched our first chickens with one of our broody hens, an Australorp. Right now I have mama hen and her babies in their own little safe space (where the others can see them, but can't get at them). I would like to start integrating them with the rest of the flock, but I'm SO paranoid about the other hens killing one of the chicks because I'm total softy. They are a week old right now. I know the mama will mostly protect them, but still.

At what point is it safe for me to open the door and let them out with the others? How do others navigate this process?

 

[Chicalina]

I've just done this with 3 week old chicks and I'm glad I waited. They can run and fly and zip away from the older chickens when threatened, as well as mama hen protecting them. She has gone way down the pecking order in the flock since she has been separated from them, so she isn't as feisty as I would like (except to one docile hen). Mama is getting picked on too, so I am glad the chicks are stronger than tiny babies.

 

[Broody_Mama]

She has gone way down the pecking order in the flock since she has been separated from them, so she isn't as feisty as I would like (except to one docile hen).

Good point. This hen wasn't exactly at the top of the pecking order to start with, so she might not be able to protect them as well as she would want. I'll do my best to keep being patient! I just worried that the longer I waited, the less likely the others would be to accept the new chicks.

 

[Chicalina]

I'll post some pics of the hidey places I have created in the run on 3 sides. They have another larger outdoor run the other side of the coop and free range too before anyone says it it too small for all my chickens!

1. a wooden board on 2 bricks
2. a wire fence leaned at an angle about 4 or 5 inches away from the run fence
3. a plastic sheet leaned up against a wooden thing
4. under the whole of the blue hutch
5. behind the hutch door and all around the back of the hutch.