Mama is being bullied

[Cryss]

Mama Rosie has been a good mama. She had a staggered hatch because sneaky hens kept adding to her clutch before I was able to separate her. It took her 5 days to hatch 4 chicks! I put her in a coop with a run that is inside the
main flock run so she could brood them in peace. The only thing between her and the flock is some chicken wire and hardware cloth. Her feeder is next to the wire as is one of the flocks feeders is on the opposite side. Same thing for the waterers. I wanted them to feel like they were eating together.
Today the first hatchling is 7 weeks old, the youngest was six weeks old three days ago. Yesterday and today we opened the gate that separates them from the flock and hung out to supervise. Yesterday There was a bit of pecking and mama did a bit of protection type brief battling/ chest bumping. After a couple hours we put the little family back in the little run. Today mama got into a few scraps that seemed a bit harsher than just pecking. One hen tried to stand on her but she got away as we started to break it up. She started running away from everyone and found a way to hide in the corner behind the waterer. When she came out she got chased and ran to hide behind the waterer but on the other angle of the corner. This caused her to get wedged in and stuck. We had to dislodge the waterer and pull her out. We put her back in her little run where she hid under the little coop clucking for her babies. I sat outside to prevent flockmates from goin in with her. Meanwhile babies were doing just fine! They were scratching, pecking and roosting along with the flock. When Mama started clucking they decided to find her and went dutifully inside the run. We closed the gate.
I expected some interest in the babies. I never expected Rosie to be so bullied. The little run is set up purposely for proper introductions.
Any advice?

 

[aart]

Take down the barrier and let them work it out.
Hopefully there is plenty of space and some 'cover' for 'hiding'.
Not unusual for a separated broody to have to reclaim her spot in the flocks pecking order.
Hindsight, let the broody and her chicks back in with the flock a week or two after hatching so mama still has her broody fierce going on and the chicks have learned the ways of the flock once mama is ready to wean them. Now you've got a whole other kind of integration going on.

 

[Cryss]

Take down the barrier and let them work it out.
Hopefully there is plenty of space and some 'cover' for 'hiding'.
Not unusual for a separated broody to have to reclaim her spot in the flocks pecking order.
Hindsight, let the broody and her chicks back in with the flock a week or two after hatching so mama still has her broody fierce going on and the chicks have learned the ways of the flock once mama is ready to wean them. Now you've got a whole other kind of integration going on.

Thanks. In hindsight I suppose they could have been out sooner. Although she is very fierce even now that I took for being protective. I was concerned that at a week old they wouldn’t be able to reach adult waterers and feeders and chick waterers get knocked over so easily. I’ll be ready next year. Already thinking up work-arounds.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Thanks. In hindsight I suppose they could have been out sooner. Although she is very fierce even now that I took for being protective. I was concerned that at a week old they wouldn’t be able to reach adult waterers and feeders and chick waterers get knocked over so easily. I’ll be ready next year. Already thinking up work-arounds.

Keep the chick food/water in an area with a small opening that only the little ones can get to. Like a really small opening into the separate brooder run you have, that you can keep closed when the chicks are still real small bit open for them to go in and out when you move mama and chicks in with the main flock. This is also gives them a safe place if they need to get away temporarily. Hope that makes sense.

 

[aart]

Keep the chick food/water in an area with a small opening that only the little ones can get to.

Yes, creep feeders work well, but it may be too late to have openings that fit the chicks that the older birds can't get thru.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Yes, creep feeders work well, but it may be too late to have openings that fit the chicks that the older birds can't get thru.

Yep, I meant for future integrations when the chicks are smaller.

 

[Cryss]

Take down the barrier and let them work it out.

Oh and the barrier is just a gate. I can open that.

 

[Cryss]

I decided to let them work it out. Babies are doing fantastic! Normal pecking order activities but mostly the flock ignores them.

Mama Rosie is a totally different story She kept to herself at first. Then she attacked a hen that I suppose she felt got too close to her. She put her head down and charged like a bull. The other hen wasn’t having it. She jumped rosie and bit at her finally grabbing a beak full of tail feathers. When Rosie broke loose another hen jumped on her. Rosie broke free and ran like a rocket ship through the length of the run and into the coop I heard a kafuffle inside but by the time I got inside she was crouched into the back corner of one of the nests. She stayed there all the rest of the day and night. This morning she was hiding on the furthest back corner of the highest roost so she wasn’t easily visible to hens coming and going. She stayed there till I went in with a bit of crumble watered into a slurry in a small bowl. While she ate and drank (obviously very thirsty and hungry after 24 hours of no food or water) I fixed up the dog cage I use as a broody breaker with food, water, and bedding. It is inside the coop. My thinking is that the small coop and run built inside the main run didn’t work well to keep her recognized as a flock member so I’m using my old introductory method I used before building the little one in the run. She doesn’t have to be fierce mama since she’s separated from the babies now so hopefully the last bit of lower intensity “mama fierce” will dissipate and she won’t attack anyone causing retribution

My question is does anyone think this will help or is there a better idea?