When can I let my mamma hen and 4 week old chicks merge into my current flock?

[Newchickenmom26]

I have a mamma hen and 4 week old chicks in a separate area away from the rest of my flock. The mini-coop (where momma and babies are in currently) has a chicken run attached to it and the mamma and babies are able to interact with the other flock members safely.

I was wondering at what age can I let my mamma hen and baby chicks integrate into my flock? I can't find anything online about it and this is a new adventure me and this mamma hen are embarking on, so I don't know what to do when the chicks get old enough to be away from mamma hen.

 

[gtaus]

Welcome to the BYC forums. Hope to hear more from you in the future.

I have only integrated new chicks with an existing flock at about 8 weeks old. Someday I would like to have a mamma hen and baby chicks. To answer your question, I found this information...

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The “look but don’t touch” arrangement is one of the safest ways to build familiarity and reduce drama when it’s time to integrate. Here’s a breakdown of what the experts recommend:

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Ideal Age for Integration​

• Standard guideline: Most sources recommend 8–12 weeks as the earliest safe window for integration, once chicks are fully feathered and can regulate their own body temperature.
• With a protective mamma hen: You may be able to integrate as early as 6 weeks, especially if the hen is assertive and maintains her role as protector. Her presence can buffer pecking order aggression.
• Breed and temperament matter:
  • Docile breeds (e.g. Orpingtons, Cochins) tend to accept newcomers more easily.
  • Aggressive or high-ranking hens may require a longer separation period—closer to 16–18 weeks for safety.

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Integration Strategy​

1. Continue “Look But Don’t Touch” for 1–2 more weeks
   Let the flock get used to seeing and hearing the chicks daily. This reduces novelty and territorial aggression.
2. Supervised Free-Range Time
   Around 6–8 weeks, begin short, supervised sessions where mamma and chicks mingle with the flock in a neutral space (e.g. yard or garden). Distractions like treats help redirect attention.
3. Watch for Pecking Order Behavior
   Some pecking is normal—it's how chickens establish hierarchy. But if you see chasing, pinning, or blood, separate immediately and try again later.
4. Gradual Overnight Integration
   Once daytime interactions are peaceful, you can try letting them roost together. Do this on a calm evening and monitor closely the next morning.

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Hope that helps.

 

[nuthatched]

Now. You want momma to still be protective and her weaning time should be within the next two week.

 

[Yardmom]

The younger the chicks the less likely the older birds are to pay attention to them. Be aware that by removing the hen from the flock and in warning to stay away from her chicks she may end up fighting some.

Since your chicks are already 4 weeks old make sure there are places for the chicks to hide or escape from the hens, but I still think it will be easier sooner than later.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

It sounds like your small coop and run are next to the main flock's coop and run so they can see each other across the wire. That would be good. Before I give specific suggestions I like to know what you are working with. So how big (in feet or meters) is that small coop? Small run? Main coop? Main run? Do you have four chicks 1 week old or an unknown number of chicks 4 weeks old with that broody hen? How many other chickens?

I have more than sufficient room. I let my broody hens hatch with the flock and raise the chicks with the flock from Day 1. For me that is not a problem. For some people it can be a problem. I think the amount of room I have contributes greatly to my success but each chicken has its own personality and you do not get guarantees with living chickens.

I've had broody hens wean their chicks at 3 weeks old, I've had some not wean them until they were almost three months old. I have no idea how close your hen is to weaning her chicks. But regardless of age my chicks have been able to make their way with the flock until they matured enough to join the pecking order. They manage that by avoiding them during the day and not sleeping next to them on the roosts at night. That is where room in the coop and outside is important.

My first thought would be to cut a hole in the fence between them and let the hen handle integration. Maintain separate feeding and watering stations. Let them sleep apart if they want to. If the hen wants to take the chicks to the main coop at night. let her try. I'm assuming you have enough room to do this. You may not.

Good luck!

 

[Newchickenmom26]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

It sounds like your small coop and run are next to the main flock's coop and run so they can see each other across the wire. That would be good. Before I give specific suggestions I like to know what you are working with. So how big (in feet or meters) is that small coop? Small run? Main coop? Main run? Do you have four chicks 1 week old or an unknown number of chicks 4 weeks old with that broody hen? How many other chickens?

I have more than sufficient room. I let my broody hens hatch with the flock and raise the chicks with the flock from Day 1. For me that is not a problem. For some people it can be a problem. I think the amount of room I have contributes greatly to my success but each chicken has its own personality and you do not get guarantees with living chickens.

I've had broody hens wean their chicks at 3 weeks old, I've had some not wean them until they were almost three months old. I have no idea how close your hen is to weaning her chicks. But regardless of age my chicks have been able to make their way with the flock until they matured enough to join the pecking order. They manage that by avoiding them during the day and not sleeping next to them on the roosts at night. That is where room in the coop and outside is important.

My first thought would be to cut a hole in the fence between them and let the hen handle integration. Maintain separate feeding and watering stations. Let them sleep apart if they want to. If the hen wants to take the chicks to the main coop at night. let her try. I'm assuming you have enough room to do this. You may not.

Good luck!

 

[Newchickenmom26]

My small coop looks like this, but brown lol Small chicken coop . The coop has plenty of room for mama and the babies. I have 3, 4 week old chicks. I have 14 adult chickens (3 being roosters, would be 15 including the broody hen).

My main chicken run is 20 ft x 70 ft. They have separate feeder and waterers already. My main coop is pretty large. It's gotta be like 6 ft x 6 ft big, but it is tall and has plenty of roosting places. My broody hen is very aggressive towards the other hens and roosters when protecting her babies. She doesn't let the hens and roosters near them. My leghorns don't seem to mind Bertha (broody hen name) and the babies neither do her original flock members. My concern is my other leghorn hen, Penny, could be a potential issue. Her and her man, Louie, were the original chickens in my area (they were my neighbors chickens, but they moved and I took them in) and were predominately free ranging the yard. They recently have been in the chicken run with the other chickens and were getting along with no issues.

I put Bertha and the 3 chicks in the dog crate Penny and Louie lived in for a while. I tried letting Bertha and her babies roam with me standing close to them. Penny seemed to think she could bully Bertha and her babies out of the crate because there was food in it, and Penny is pretty greedy when it comes to food. A fight ensued over the old living area and the food, and I had to break up the fight and lock Bertha and the chicks in the crate. Penny had already been well along sleeping in the main coop by the time Bertha hatched her babies, so it shouldn't have been an issue so I think they were fighting more over the food.

Also, what do you mean by the hen weaning the chicks? Like how does that work and what are the signs the hen is weaning the chicks?

 

[BDutch]

Ridgerunner gave very good advice. And there is not one solution thats fits all.

Weaning means the mother hens stops caring for her chicks. Best is to integrate before she does imho. Meaning asap. Some mothers stop caring with 3 weeks, most hens stop between 5 and 9 weeks, even up to 16 weeks is possible.

I would make an a opening or even better a little door to the big run. Leave Penny Bertha and her chicks in the small coop as long as they please/ fit. Give chick feed to all chickens for the time being (oyster shell on the side). Keep a feed and water station in the small coop too. See how things go. Watch the interaction the first 2-3 hours. If Penny and the flock act all right, its okay. If not, give Bertha and her chicks piece in their own quarters again. Try again tomorrow and the day after. If they don’t integrate after a few days you should add more hiding places in the run and make more run space or consider to free range your flock.

A future tip I can give is to make sure the growing chicks have their own personal roost space if the flock does not accept them in ‘their’ coop.

Edited bc I mixed up the names.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree, that small coop is plenty big enough for the hen and 3 chicks. At 4 weeks of age the chicks should have no problems going into that closed section whether they walk the ramp or fly up and down.

That run should be plenty big enough for 18 chickens. I assume you have that small coop sitting inside the main run. That main coop is not that big for 18 chickens but a lot of that depends on your climate and how predator proof you consider your run. If they are locked in that coop only for very long due to weather or you just leaving them locked up in there I would expect problems and a very challenging integration with those 3 chicks. If your climate and management techniques allow them outside during waking periods you can be OK.

Penny seemed to think she could bully Bertha and her babies out of the crate because there was food in it, and Penny is pretty greedy when it comes to food. A fight ensued over the old living area and the food, and I had to break up the fight and lock Bertha and the chicks in the crate.

This complicates matters. I think Penny was after the food and Bertha did not want her near the babies. If it were just the hens fighting I'd be tempted to let them go, they should soon sort it out. But my concern would be that the chicks could be injured by the fighting.

So how can you avoid this? I assume the broody and chicks are locked in there overnight for predator protection and the others are locked in the main coop. My first thought is to let the broody and her chicks out first, before you open the main coop and let the others out. Also move the feed dish out of the small coop into the run to encourage the broody and chicks to come out and to keep Penny out of there. The broody and chicks will probably still want to eat when they wake up and Penny may still be her obnoxious food hogging self, but at least it would be in the open with less danger to the chicks. I think they will sort it out fairly soon. I'd consider adding another feeding station far away in the run to give them another eating option.

Also, what do you mean by the hen weaning the chicks? Like how does that work and what are the signs the hen is weaning the chicks?

At some point the hen will determine that the chicks can make it alone in the flock. You don't know when that will be. I've had some do that at 3 weeks, some at almost 3 months. Some hens abandon their chicks and want nothing to do with them essentially overnight and rejoin the main flock. They might peck them to drive them away or just abandon them.

I've had hens continue to sleep with their chicks at night but not take care of them during the day for another week or two. I've had hens stop sleeping with the chicks but take care of them during the day. Most of the time it is an immediate total abandonment but with living animals anything can happen. It is a normal part of chicken development. I have never had a hen wean her chicks before they were ready to make it on their own.

With your very small main coop the chicks may continue to sleep in their small coop for quite a while after being weaned or they may try to join the main flock in the main coop. The broody may move them into the main coop before she weans them or she may abandon them out in the small coop while she moves back to the main coop to rejoin the flock.

Good luck! With your set-up you should be OK. It's just that food crazy hen that is upsetting things.

 

[BDutch]

Leave Penny and her chicks in the small coop as long as they please/ fit.

Oops. I thought Penny was the mother hen, but its the bully. I try to correct it.