Should I take the baby away sooner or later?

Long story short I had 4 incubated chicks that were about 2 weeks young I tried to introduce them to a broody hen with 6 chicks. The mom did not accept them but she also was not aggressive towards them I ended up raising them separately when mom left them at about a month I began introducing them together the big sister was very protective of her brothers and would peck the other incubated chicks but after a while they hangout together and slept together and now they chill and hangout like actual brothers you can leave the chick with his mom and raise the other two. And once it's old enough integrate them all together
When is “old enough” ? Several weeks ago I thought I had lost a hen. I discovered her with 12 new checks this morning. The rooster is extremely protective of the hen and her chicks. She is protective of the chicks as well. The hen and chicks are outside of the fenced in yard, which the hens and rooster can enter/exit at will. I don’t know if I should provide a more controlled environment or let them be. I have nine other hens and the rooster which are able to free range or go into the coop at will. I arranged a makeshift enclosure, but don’t know how much protection the broody hen and new chicks need. I provided some chick starter and water within the makeshift enclosure. I’m nervous the hens and chicks will be too vulnerable. Help. Please.
 
You can do 4 weeks 8 weeks or 12 weeks I put the chicks together at night after a few nights they accepted each other. Separating the mom and chicks from the flock has never worked out for me. I let the mom be with flock and never had any hen killed chicks. But each situation is different.
 
When is “old enough” ? Several weeks ago I thought I had lost a hen. I discovered her with 12 new checks this morning. The rooster is extremely protective of the hen and her chicks. She is protective of the chicks as well. The hen and chicks are outside of the fenced in yard, which the hens and rooster can enter/exit at will. I don’t know if I should provide a more controlled environment or let them be. I have nine other hens and the rooster which are able to free range or go into the coop at will. I arranged a makeshift enclosure, but don’t know how much protection the broody hen and new chicks need. I provided some chick starter and water within the makeshift enclosure. I’m nervous the hens and chicks will be too vulnerable. Help. Please.
If the mom is a good protector then they will probably be fine together. My mama hen didn’t do anything when her baby almost got trampled. I also have one hen that was picking on mom. That’s the main reason for me separating the mom and baby. Mom would run from the hen picking on her and baby would be left alone. I will have to reintroduce mom and the new babies to the rest of the flock. If you can, I would try to keep the entire flock together, it will be a lot less stressful than what I’m going through.
 
Sounds like a lousy mom to me if it leaves it's babies. Maybe time to put her and the bully in the cooking pot and raise the babies yourself? You already got 2 isolated because of her, what's another one?

To each is own but me, I wouldn't tolerate bullies or sorry moms. Might as well just call them Meth Hens, they act the same way.

Aaron
 
I have just had a single french copper raised by a mom. We also had a mixed bag of x's 3 weeks later but the are a brood of 5. The copper mom started weaning really early but the larger brood mother is still supper happy to be a mom. However the copper mom still stayed with the chick at night only untill 8 weeks wich was tuesday this week at wich point she laid an egg in her coop then promptly mooved out and set up home in a diffrent coop on someone else's eggs she's an easter-egger. Since then some of the chicks have started naturally spending time away from their mother with the single chick. I dosnt really matter when they become intergrated just that they do. They will due to their age naturally hang around together especially when they get to weaning age
 
When is “old enough” ? Several weeks ago I thought I had lost a hen. I discovered her with 12 new checks this morning. The rooster is extremely protective of the hen and her chicks. She is protective of the chicks as well. The hen and chicks are outside of the fenced in yard, which the hens and rooster can enter/exit at will. I don’t know if I should provide a more controlled environment or let them be. I have nine other hens and the rooster which are able to free range or go into the coop at will. I arranged a makeshift enclosure, but don’t know how much protection the broody hen and new chicks need. I provided some chick starter and water within the makeshift enclosure. I’m nervous the hens and chicks will be too vulnerable. Help. Please.
If the mom is a good protector then they will probably be fine together. My mama hen didn’t do anything when her baby almost got trampled. I also have one hen that was picking on mom. That’s the main reason for me separating the mom and baby. Mom would run from the hen picking on her and baby would be left alone. I will have to reintroduce mom and the new babies to the rest of the flock. If you can, I would try to keep the entire flock together, it will be a lot less stressful than what I’m going through.
Thanks for the advice! They actually worked it out themselves!!! While I was watching them and wondering how/when to introduce them to the bigger flock, the chicks walked into the main yard between the slats in the fence. Lol 😂
 

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I ended up keeping baby with mom. I have to keep them separated from the rest of the flock because she is not an aggressive mother and the other ladies almost trampled the poor baby to get to the chick food. I have the 2 store bought babies in a guinea pig cage inside the coop and I let all 3 babies have play dates. They get along well and I’m hoping they still get along when mom calls it quits. I tried to take the baby from mom and that lasted a day because mom was going crazy around bed time looking for baby. It was very sad and I couldn’t do it!! This is a crazy process, but it is working for me. Hopefully you have success in whatever you choose to do!!!
I've had hens raise a single baby, and if the mom is good, she will teach the chick from an early age, how to live in a flock, as well as how to watch for predators, and search for food. A good mom will also protect her chick from bullies. I've also had a mom adopt incubator chicks that were introduced at midnight that were all fine come morning. As for keeping a lone chick, our lone chick and momma did just fine on their own.*
 
Thanks for the advice! They actually worked it out themselves!!! While I was watching them and wondering how/when to introduce them to the bigger flock, the chicks walked into the main yard between the slats in the fence. Lol 😂
My mamma and her baby have now been with the flock for 2 days. They are doing great!! I am so glad that yours are too!! I have noticed that the big hens don’t really care about the baby, and she has learned to stay out from under them!! It’s a great thing to watch!! I guess they integrate when they are ready and us humans worry too much about helping them out🤪
 
My mamma and her baby have now been with the flock for 2 days. They are doing great!! I am so glad that yours are too!! I have noticed that the big hens don’t really care about the baby, and she has learned to stay out from under them!! It’s a great thing to watch!! I guess they integrate when they are ready and us humans worry too much about helping them out🤪
I find that to be the truth when we have mommas raising babies. Chickens have been doing it naturally for centuries before people started domesticating them, and that instinct and ability to integrate themselves still exists.
 

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