Is Mom ready to be done?

[Red Horse]

I separated my hen and her chicks from the rest of the flock for her to raise them with the intention of keeping them all together and eventually adding a rooster for them to be their own flock (no messy integrating with other hens).

They're 7 weeks old now and Mom is bullying them all into a corner and making them stay there. To be fair, they're still in a very small coop and run while we finish their big permanent one (they don't free range) and they can't get far from each other. I'm concerned she'll be keeping them from food and water and I have a crossbeak that can't afford to get behind on eating. Should I put her back with her original flock and leave the youngsters on their own?

I'm also worried that if they're without her the first night or two they will call for her and we have already had a lot of interested raccoons examining the coop the last 2 weeks.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They're 7 weeks old now and Mom is bullying them all into a corner and making them stay there. To be fair, they're still in a very small coop and run while we finish their big permanent one (they don't free range) and they can't get far from each other.

Sounds like she's done to me. Providing more space now will definitely help or try moving her back. If she's been separated this long, she may have trouble re-integrating back with her flock.

Will the chicks call for her? Maybe, sometimes they do, sometimes not.

Racoons will always be interested and curious. They will continually check your security for weaknesses as will other predators, so you need to do the same.