What to do with chicks after broody hen hatches them????

Back in the old days, folks just let them join the flock and trusted the hen to protect them. My grandma didn't separate them from the others. I think most folks on here would advise a pen for them until they get older. Does your flock free range? Mine does and, if a hen hatches a brood, I will let her mix with the others after about a week.

Anyone else have a bad experience by doing this?

 

i wouldnt keep them together. good chance of the others messing with them.you could make a small encloseure to use for little of nothing for them to stay in.i use a circular pen made out of fiberglass that is approx two feet tall.i use a piece of lattice for the top and move it around the yard to keep them on fresh grass/bugs.its about 8 feet in diameter.i have two broody hens with their babies in it.

 

I just had two hatches (long story, but it involved three hens on one nest and one hen in another) I removed the chicks due to the near death of one of the chicks - one is really a mess, but such a fighter and doesnt seem to be suffering, so I'm gonna give it a chance (plus I cant even kill a fly - dont know how I could dispatch this chick, but I will if I need to?)...I may be raising a blind chicken though, but I've heard it's been done. The other chickens must have thought these little ones were prey or something - and these chicks have three mothers on the same nest, so they should have been protected? Now I truly believe that babies should be kept away from the rest of the flock until they're much bigger - mine usually dont mix until they're several months old, which is apparently a good practice for our flock.

 

I always seperate mine (mostly because the hen prefers to stay on her nest for more than 3 days so the chicks yolk sac would be depleted). I think you should seperate her from the rest of the flock.

 

I've got eleven 5 week olds in the same coop and run as a brood hen with 7 week old chicks. The broody will protect the chicks and keep the older birds away and keep things straight. The teens walk gently around her and don't get to close to the little ones. Its a site to see when a week old roo thinks he's as big as the teens and tries to but chests and peck at them. One quick peck to the noggin sends the little one running.

Broody will take care of the little ones, only reason I would take chicks from a hen is if you needed her laying.