we have 3 hens that we collected eggs from and put into an incubator... 9 of them hatched today and 3 are taking their sweet time. we can't tell which ones belong to what hen. when would be a safe time to mix the baby's with the 3 hens and 2 roosters? i know they can't be put outside on their own for 4-6 weeks when there are no adult chickens but does the same apply in my situation? should we pick a hen and put her with the baby's in a seperate place or can we mix them all and let them decide on the mother figure for themselves. can we mix them immediately or should we wait until they are strong enough to fend for themselves around the others? we have a mix of different breeds so i didn't know what to do? can someone please help me?
Since the hens didn't do the actual hatching they very likely will not take the chick at all. They may even attack them. You could try to put the chicks with them while you are standing there for an hour or so and see what happens but it doesn't sound like it would work well. Unless, some of those hens are still broody? If they are still broody then you might be able to slip the chicks under the broody hen(s) at night and she may take them. I think you are going to have to keep them in a brooder and not put them with the adults until they are the same size. Let us know what you do and how it works.