When do you separate the mother hen from her nine baby chicks?

[sylviabobby]

One of our Buff hens hatched nine little buffs about 3 weeks ago. The baby chicks are eating chick starter and drinking water on their own. We have the mama hen and her baby chicks in a 10x10 pen all to themselves.

My question: When can we separate them? I would like to put the mama hen back with our hens that are all laying eggs.

Thanks for your responses and advice.

 

[Matt A NC]

I do not remove hens from chicks till the hen is ready to give them up. Doing so early can be extremely stressful on the hen and chicks. My Buff Orp hen left her chicks today. The cochin chicks are 5.5 weeks old. I good mother hen will stay with the chicks till they are 5-7 weeks old. Some longer. Depending on the hen, some ALOT longer. My bantam cochin hens are still with their 10.5 week old chicks and have shown no signs of giving them up.

Matt

 

[ragerkid2]

Its not your choice to decide. its the moms. I have herd of moms staying with their young until the following spring. i have also herd of mother kicking them out at 3 weeks. Let the momma decide.

~Brandon

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Yup, she will tell you when she is ready.


If she is protective, and you have lots of room in your run/coop - you can re-introduce mom/chicks to the regular flock. She will help integrate the babies into the flock and save you the trouble.



When she is ready, she will start gently pecking them to leave her alone. She will also stop clucking to them for food and just eat it herself

 

[NewToFarming]

I do the same! I let mom decide and also allow her to introduce into the flock. It is so much better to allow Mom to do the introductions!

 

[BarefootMom]

^^^ agree

I let mom and chicks free range with all the other chickens though. She protects them from the other hens and shows them where the food and water is. She gave up on them at about 6 weeks.

 

[primchicky]

My one hen has 5 chicks that are 8 weeks old. This morning I took her out of their mini coop and ut her in with the hens and roo. The chicks are very independant, moving around the yard ( with my other chicks) Mom is pacing the fence and whining, the chicks pay her no attention. Should I carry on, will she get over it, or should I let her join them??

 

[karlyla]

well answering to question above, it depends on what enclose to chicks are in. have you separated to chicks to the hens? or the mum from the chicks? my opinion is to let the mother look after her own children and she should give them up soon. like to others, let her decide.

 

[Boudreauxsbabys]

I have my first old english bantam hen that just hatched out 5 and they are all doing excellent. She is a great mother but I guess because they are so small I fear she will accidentally hurt them. Because she will get up to scratch around and she kind-of just kicks the babies too. They are only 3 days old and so precious. What signs do I watch for that notify me when to put momma back with her flock and separate the babies?
I am new to this webpage as a member but have looked up many things here. How do I post a picture?

 

[Boudreauxsbabys]

I figured out how to post pictures!