What do I do with hen w/chicks

[Hermie and the chicks]

Hello everyone, I'm a newbie to the art of hatching eggs & raising chicks. I did well with the incubator & the brooder all 7 chicks I hatched are growing up fast in their own coop. Soon to be big enough I think to put in with the grown ups I alreday have.
Now my problem is I let a hen go to brood, she hatched 2 more chicks & now I dont know what to do with them.
Should I let the Mom hen w/chicks out with everybody else? She is locked in the hen house for most of the day until I can get home from work to let her out in the pen. I let the grown ups out to free range during the day but they have to get in the pen to get to the nest boxes. What should I expect from the Roo & other hens? The chicks are about 2 weeks old. Will the others peck and kill the little chicks? Help I cant build another pen my husband will kill me if I even suggest it as we have 3 full already with the other roo and our older chicks. He wants to put the hen and her chicks out with the grown ups but I cant see doing that if it could kill them. They are soooooo cute. Buffs the whole bunch of them. 17 in all. 2 Grown Roos, 6 Laying Hens, 7 Teenagers & 2 chicks. Any body got any good ideas on how to introduce them all together without bloodshed. Human or Chicken.

 

[talkturkey]

New to chickens as well, but we just had a hen hatch out 7 chicks, over a week ago. The hatch happened on the day after we left on vacation. She was in the same coop with our other 7 hens and 1 rooster. Mom hen is very aggresive and protective, all are healthy and well, and all are still residing in the same coop together. May just be fortunate to have a very protective hen?

 

[Hermie and the chicks]

I have let one other hen in with her for a short time and she was very protective of her chicks. I was concerned about them all ganging up on her. Have you had that problem?

 

[talkturkey]

No prolems and they've all been together since hatched, May 24th. But again, it may be the mother hen's 'alpha dog' status (so to speak). She is a mutt game hen that has always been at the top of the pecking order status.

 

[Hermie and the chicks]

I have buffs. I am not sure of her status in the peeking order. But she does seem to be very protective. The one I am worried about is the BIG ROO (Hermie is his name). He is very protective of his hens and when they get into fights he gets right in the middle of it. I am going to try to let them all out together before its time to put them up for the night. I am just waiting for my husband to get home to help if there is any trouble. Wish us luck.

 

[RendonRoo]

You should be fine. In nature the hen protects the chicks from the flock until they are accepted. Just keep an eye out at first. Good Luck

 

[jkm]

I have a buff with six new chicks, six days old, kept mostly seperated, today I let them all meet in in the open yard, buff told off one pushy hen and looks like peace will prevail. I want to move hen and chicks into run next week. will it work?