When to integrate 5 week old chicks with just one hen

[mkworden09]

Ok...thank you for clearing that up for me. Right now she is sleeping all by herself...will that change when the cold weather comes? I am so concerned the other hens will run when she comes near them (thats what they do now).
I never had this issue with my last flock. Thank you so much for teaching me the ropes !

 

[junebuggena]

Where do you live, and how cold are your winters typically?

 

[mkworden09]

I live in Central New York...last year was brutal!! Syracuse, NY was in the top 5 for the coldest, snowiest winter in the country....it was -15 some days and I couldn't let the hens out of the coop. I had to put coconut oil on their combs because they would have gotten frost bite. We lost 5 of our girls to the coop door not getting closed one night when I was out of town and they got out and couldn't get back in ....only one survive. The new hens are now 17 weeks old and this will be there first winter.

 

[junebuggena]

She will probably start snuggling with the rest out of necessity when it starts to get really cold.