My system with chicks is a bit different, now - I won't let their mommas raise the babies in the flock. I've had far too many chicks disappear, entire broods sometimes.
I have a mama hen and six 2-wk old chicks she hatched in a separate brooder house. A few days ago, I let mama and her babies out to free-range all day, kept the main flock locked in their run. She did wonderful. Stayed next to the run fence all day, and babies went in and out through the fencing. No chickens picked on them at all. All was going well, looked like they were getting along fine.
Later, I opened the gate and she led them into the run ... and all hell broke loose. Mama attacked several hens, even abandoning her babies to chase them around the far side of the run (40' x 50'). She had the whole flock in a panic and babies were so lost, calling for her and running among the flock. I caught her up and took her back out of the enclosure, and into her little brooder coop. Babies followed. But it's far too hot for mama and her chicks in that brooder hut - and I need it emptied out. So... next day, I evicted mama from the brooder coop, and took the chicks to a brooder I have in the basement.
The first night, mama returned to her brooder coop alone. Babies in my basement cried for hours, until I made them a "wooly hen" box (THANK YOU
@Mrs. K !
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...t-way-of-adding-chicks.1521710/#post-25631168 ). Put them in the box and it was instantly quiet.
Next day, mama rejoined the flock on her own with everyone free-ranging, had a bit of fuss but not bad. The babies were happily and quietly exploring their little basement brooder. When I was sure they'd forgotten their mama, I carried them out to the "schoolhouse" coop, where I have 11 more little ones same age, hatched in an incubator. They were instant friends. At twilight, I checked on mama again, and she had ensconced herself in a nesting bucket in the big coop with the flock. All 17 little ones huddled together in their safe nesting corner in the little coop.
Today, mama is back to dust-bathing and chatting with her friends, and the babies are all one big happy flock of their own. I'll integrate them into the big flock when they are 6-8 weeks old - by that time, they'll be big enough and fast enough to manage on their own, and respectful enough to learn from the older ladies and gents. And no worries about being picked off by hawks, bullied by other hens, or mama picking fights. All is well!
☺
