Reintroduction of broody and chicks to flock

[Dans Magoo]

Hi all.
Advise appreciated, I have a chicken that successfully hatched and raised 9 chicks that are now almost 4 weeks. We have had them in a run adjacent to the other hens. I now have another hen broody and need to move the mom and babies into the main flock so that the new brooding hen can hatch her babies in safety.
How can I go about reintroducing the brooding hen and her chickens.
When the chicks hatched, the hens killed 3 babies, hence us putting up a separate run.
Would hate to see another massacre…

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Can you make a maze-like area where the babies can hide under? An area the older girls can't get to. Is it just one hen that did the killing? If so, could you put her in Chicken jail for a bit?

 

[Dans Magoo]

Can you make a maze-like area where the babies can hide under? An area the older girls can't get to. Is it just one hen that did the killing? If so, could you put her in Chicken jail for a bit?

That’s a good idea will try that, maybe with a branch or something. Will investigate options. I’m a bit unsure if it was just the one. It seems to be one that is always very inquisitive and she was the one we did see with a dead baby in her beak. Will put her in a crate for a while and see how the others react? Was thinking of putting the mom out for a bit each day so they get used to her again and then when they have accepted her I try the chicks?

 

[NatJ]

Can you make a maze-like area where the babies can hide under? An area the older girls can't get to.

An old pallet might work well, maybe propped up on bricks or cinder blocks or scraps of board depending on the present size of the chicks.

 

[Dans Magoo]

Great idea! Thabks

 

[Jojosine]

Hi there
Our Harvey is now 6 weeks old and he and mum have been separated from the flock ever since. The flock have been able to see them all the time (fencing in between) and so have mum and Harvey.

When can I open the hatch a little so that Harvey can get to the other side, but adult chickens can't? There is also pallets on blocks in the flock's run.

I guess he looks a bit bigger on the picture than he is in real life

 

[NatJ]

Hi there
Our Harvey is now 6 weeks old and he and mum have been separated from the flock ever since. The flock have been able to see them all the time (fencing in between) and so have mum and Harvey.

When can I open the hatch a little so that Harvey can get to the other side, but adult chickens can't? There is also pallets on blocks in the flock's run.

I guess he looks a bit bigger on the picture than he is in real life

You can make a chick-sized door at any point after the chicks are good at running around (so probably by the time they are a week old). By 6 weeks, your chick is more than old enough for that.

But if the chick is being raised by a broody hen, it often works better to allow the hen and chick to both mingle with the flock, again any time after the chicks are good at running around (around a week old.) The hen will usually protect her own chicks from the other adult chickens, while re-establishing her own place in the flock.

Of course there are times when this doesn't work. Sometimes the hen is too submissive to the other hens, and other times she is over-protective and tries to chase the other chickens completely out of the pen. And at some point the hen will decide her chicks are grown up and she will quit protecting them, which also happens at different ages for different hens.

In your case, I would probably make an opening to let the hen and chick in with the rest of the flock, but watch to see how it goes. If the hen is fine but the chick gets chased, you might leave her with the flock but provide a chick-sized opening for him to run away into the separate pen again.

 

[Jojosine]

Hi
I've opened the hatch to let both mum and Harvey mingle with the flock and so far it seems they are okay! I am very relieved!

The flock don't seem to mind Harvey, but mum was quick to re-establish her place in the pecking order, but nothing to severe.

Thank you for the advice!!

 

[Jojosine]

@NatJ Just an update on Harvey (our one and only chick who survived mum's massacre) you gave advice on how to introduce to the flock:
He is growing into a big boy and totally accepted!

 

[NatJ]

@NatJ Just an update on Harvey (our one and only chick who survived mum's massacre) you gave advice on how to introduce to the flock:
He is growing into a big boy and totally accepted!

View attachment 3308835

Thanks for updating.

I'm glad it worked out so well!