My new Polish girl

[mamabigbird]

Yeah. she is really pretty. But she still makes me giggle when I see her because she looks so much like Edith Prickley. TEEHEE.

 

[Cantonmentchickenmama]

I have 2 pens also. One (the nursery )is a section of the bigger one (main coop) and I have a broody/mom in there with two hatchlings ( hatched on May 14th)
At what age do you let your young ones start to free range with the older ones?
Does the momma hen protect her babies from the other hens and does she then bring them back to their nursery instead of the big coop?
I have never raised babies with a broody before so I'm not sure how it goes.
I have raised chicks in a brooder and then placed them in the nursery pen until they were about 12 weeks or so before moving them to the big coop.
I would appreciate any advice on integrating momma and babies.

Currently I have three hens in the nursery coop. I have a bantam with 5 biddies that are 4 weeks old, I have a frizzle with 2 biddies that are about 10 weeks old, and silkie that is sitting on about 10 eggs. My rule of thumb first of all is that I do not allow aggressive hens to raise biddies. Therefore the aggressive hens are not allowed in the nursery. The three hens that I allow to rear the biddies are crappy at laying, but great mama hens. The first couple of times that I let them out of the nursery I do so supervised they are usually three weeks old. I did go to tractor supply and purchase a chick kit that has the chick corral in it. I use it the firt couple of times. My mama hen flies out, but will return if the chicks get to loud. The hens are great protectors and the older hens are busy chasing bugs and scratching so they don't really pay much attention to the chicks right now. While in the nursery, there is some tiff's between the hens, but they work it out and move on.....hope this helps....dawn

 

[mamabigbird]

Thanks for the info, Dawn. My broody Matilda is my only hen in the nursery with her two chicks.
I noticed that she seems agitated at being fenced in and is constantly pacing and clucking at the perimeter of the pen.
I pick grass and clover for her but I think she wants out to free range.
I'll give her another week and then maybe integrate them. The chicks just look too tiny to be out there in the big world.

 

[Cantonmentchickenmama]

What I have done is taken some pallets and lend them against my coop. I did this for two reasons. First reason, to creat a two foot barrier between the coop and my dogs having access to the chickens. Second reason, mama hen will range her biddies in the space between the pallets and coop. This is space that the bigger hens cannot get into. I would be glad to post some pictures to show you my step up if you would like....