Introducing a broody with chicks?

[J&Kfeatheredfowl]

What age should chicks be introduced to the flock when they have their mother? Will she help protect them? When will she stop looking after the chick?

Thanks in advance

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Hello!
When I had Broody with chicks, I had them in a separate pen, and I started letting me out to free range when the chicks were around two weeks old. The big chickens free range too, so they had everyday contact with them. The mama and chicks wild stay out of the way of the big guys, and occasionally I would see one pecking a chick if they didn't move out of the way. When the chicks were around six weeks or so, I saw them just wandering around, cheering. Soi looked in the big coop, and there was the mama, going to bed early! After that, she abandoned them. I decided to move the chicks into the big coop, and they learn to go in early, so they do t get pecked. Mamas can abandon their chicks early, or can stick with them up to nine weeks! I think it would work to move your chickies if they have their mom. As long as they are at least four weeks old. She can't completely protect them, but they can hide under her if they are being attacked. Which I don't think will happen.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Just make sure you don't have overly aggressive chickens! And I would watch, just to make sure everything was okay.

 

[J&Kfeatheredfowl]

Thanks for the info, the chickens have already met the chick once before, and she got pecked once by the rooster and that’s it, to be honest most of the aggression came from the mother hen towards the other hens

 

[Ridgerunner]

We all do these things differently. Some like to keep the hen and chicks separate until the hen weans them then reintegrate the hen. Some wait until the chicks are practically grown to integrate them with the flock. Others integrate earlier. I do think how much room you have will influence what might be better for you.

I go with the way that hens have been raising chicks for thousands of years, I let her raise them with the flock from when they are hatched. I let a broody hatch with the flock and bring them off the nest when she wants to. She takes care of them in the flock from there on. After she weans them they take care of themselves as she has taken care of integration. The chicks still have to handle their own pecking order issues, those aren’t settled until the chicks become mature chickens.

I’ve never lost a chick to another adult flock member doing it his way. Other people have. When you are dealing with living animals practically anything can happen. Things can happen if they are with the flock or if you try to isolate them, life just works that way. You don’t get guarantees no matter what you do.

I had two broodies raise chicks with the flock this year in spring/early summer. One weaned her chicks at 3 weeks the other at 4 weeks and left them on their own to make their way with the flock. One brood was nine chicks, the other sixteen chicks (I gave her some incubator chicks along with the ones she hatched). I also raised twenty-one incubator chicks in a brooder in the coop. I opened the brooder door around six weeks and let them make their way with the flock. Usually I open the brooder door at five weeks but it was still pretty cold so no need to rush it. All these chicks did fine.

Some things I think are important. I have a big coop and a lot or room outside. As I said I think a lot of room is important. All these chicks were raised with the flock, either by the broody or in that brooder in the coop. They were not strangers. I also select my chickens I breed partly on behaviors. Brutal bullies that upset the peace of the flock (once they get out of puberty) are not allowed to breed.

Other people have had problems with other adult flock members (practically always hens) killing chicks. Some people have had broody hens that won’t defend their chicks from aggressive flock members. We are all unique in our set-ups, experiences, and flock dynamics. In anything to do with chicken behaviors there is no one simple answer that works for all of us. We all have to find out own way, what works best for us. Good luck!

 

[Sublight]

Thank you @Crazy for Chickens!
I was about to ask the same question, and you answered it thoroughly. I have babies that are 3 days old now, and was wondering what to do.
The babies did walk into the pen through the 2x4 fence that we have, and the big girls just kind of stared at them. Im hoping for a smooth transition.

 

[Sublight]

We all do these things differently. Some like to keep the hen and chicks separate until the hen weans them then reintegrate the hen. Some wait until the chicks are practically grown to integrate them with the flock. Others integrate earlier. I do think how much room you have will influence what might be better for you.

I go with the way that hens have been raising chicks for thousands of years, I let her raise them with the flock from when they are hatched. I let a broody hatch with the flock and bring them off the nest when she wants to. She takes care of them in the flock from there on. After she weans them they take care of themselves as she has taken care of integration. The chicks still have to handle their own pecking order issues, those aren’t settled until the chicks become mature chickens.

I’ve never lost a chick to another adult flock member doing it his way. Other people have. When you are dealing with living animals practically anything can happen. Things can happen if they are with the flock or if you try to isolate them, life just works that way. You don’t get guarantees no matter what you do.

I had two broodies raise chicks with the flock this year in spring/early summer. One weaned her chicks at 3 weeks the other at 4 weeks and left them on their own to make their way with the flock. One brood was nine chicks, the other sixteen chicks (I gave her some incubator chicks along with the ones she hatched). I also raised twenty-one incubator chicks in a brooder in the coop. I opened the brooder door around six weeks and let them make their way with the flock. Usually I open the brooder door at five weeks but it was still pretty cold so no need to rush it. All these chicks did fine.

Some things I think are important. I have a big coop and a lot or room outside. As I said I think a lot of room is important. All these chicks were raised with the flock, either by the broody or in that brooder in the coop. They were not strangers. I also select my chickens I breed partly on behaviors. Brutal bullies that upset the peace of the flock (once they get out of puberty) are not allowed to breed.

Other people have had problems with other adult flock members (practically always hens) killing chicks. Some people have had broody hens that won’t defend their chicks from aggressive flock members. We are all unique in our set-ups, experiences, and flock dynamics. In anything to do with chicken behaviors there is no one simple answer that works for all of us. We all have to find out own way, what works best for us. Good luck!

Another good point of view. I think im going to take a little from both suggestions. When my chicks are too big to escape the 2x4 squares of the pen, ill integrate them into the pen.
After saying that, I don't guess it matters too much if they do escape. They aren't going far from mom, so even if they go out, they will come back in.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Another good point of view. I think im going to take a little from both suggestions. When my chicks are too big to escape the 2x4 squares of the pen, ill integrate them into the pen.
After saying that, I don't guess it matters too much if they do escape. They aren't going far from mom, so even if they go out, they will come back in.

That can take a while, especially with the smaller birds. In my first hatch, I had a tiny leghorn/EE girl. She was still slipping out of my electric poultry netting at 16-17 weeks.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Also, I have a run with 2"x2" chain link I zip tied 2 ft high 1/2" chicken wire to the inside of the run and that kept all the chicks in very well, when I was using that run/coop combo for brooding.

 

[Ridgerunner]

One problem I’ve seen people comment on this forum is when someone tries to isolate a broody and her chicks from the flock and a chick gets through the fence to where the rest of the flock is. Mama cannot protect her baby so the other hens may kill it. To me this is the biggest risk to the chicks if you try to isolate the hen and chicks. If you are going to isolate them you need to isolate them.