When do I seperate momma from chicks?

[shawnm2639]

My girl had her 12 chicks in the old coop and we moved her and the babies to the new coop while everyone else was out free ranging. The coop was brand new and they have all been happily living in there all by themselves for 3 weeks now. I know they are not feathered out yet and Miss Hen is keeping the little guys warm at night. Do I kick her out after they get feathered? And do I have to do the small cage in the big cage thing to get the other guys to accept the little ones.

This is my first hatching and I am trying to figure out what to do. I have 7 other chickens wanting to move into the new coop...lol I have 5 wild girls...(game hens) running around and I would like to get them into a coop at some point with their own laying boxes as everyone shares 6 boxes (11 hens) and I am thinking someone else is going to go broody. Any input would help....I know I will get them together eventually but I was hoping it wouldn't take 22 weeks to do it.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I leave my chicks with their mother hen until she decides it is time for them to "fly the nest".

One of my broodies from last year - she hatched her chicks early October - is still sleeping with the two pullets. Both her and the pullets are laying

but the three snuggle at night. She did kick her cockerel to the curb and stopped hanging with him when he started getting his hackle feathers - about 3 months of age.

My other broodies just eventually drift apart from their chicks, and everyone sleep apart.


When the chicks with my broodies are about the size of my smallest adult chicken (I have standards and bantams), I start letting mom and chicks out with the flock. Usually about 5/6 weeks or so - depending upon how protective my broody is. My broodies sleep in the coop with their chicks in a plastic dog kennel, and the rest of the flock - during the day they have a partitioned area in the run so the flock can see them and they can see the flock.