Introducing mama and babies-free range/unusual roosting situation

[Ggluvbug]

I've read a lot of posts about introducing mama hen and her chicks back to the flock, but I've got a particular question about the nighttime roosting situation.
My coop stays open because my chickens prefer to roost with my pigs and goats at night. It's been a natural progression after we weren't able to get them locked up for a few nights. I think they feel safer with my big ole grumpy pig. Plus, they HATE being confined at all.
Anyway, I can see my broody hen is getting slightly more antsy lately in the caged area we built for her. Her chicks are now 4 weeks old. She is still very protective and clucks that little warning cluck when we feed them, so I feel like she will continue to be protective of them. We have 30+ acres and they are free range, so I know she will have enough space to keep them safe. However, I'm concerned about the roosting situation. I'm not sure they could get up to where the other chickens roost. They sit on the wood railing of the pen area. It's about 4.5 feet high.
Any thoughts or ideas about how to make this work? Or am I worrying about nothing?
Thanks so much!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

At 4 weeks they are definitely ready to be let out. Mom may or may not go to roost with them. I would see what happens. You can always pen them at night for a bit, but I bet them chicks get where they need to at that age.

 

[azygous]

How about a plank laid against the roost so the chicks can use it as a ramp to access the high perch?

Or how about throwing together a temporary (or permanent) perch somewhere out of the way for the broody and chicks that's maybe a couple feet high?

I have a broody right now with five-week old chicks, and I've been placing them on a perch at night. In a few more days, they should be jumping up on their own. But they seem comfortable sleeping on the perch at night instead of in the nest box they were hatched in.