when to introduce?

[silkielover92]

So I have a silkie hen, and she hatched two adorible babies. Well when can I let the other hens back in the big coop? They are un the small one now. One baby is a week old the other is 4 days old.

 

[misterhandsome]

We had two hatch on Friday. Mama stayed in with the other six birds the whole time and the three are still in there in an apartment of their own that is private but open to the rest of the coop. We haven't had a problem. We have six hens and a roo in a 10x10 coop with a 8x20 run, in case space plays a role. Since the chicks were hatched another has become broody...but she laid today so probably isn't full on broody. I think that maybe when she heard them peeping she felt the urge to protect. Nobody has bothered the babies, but their mama is top bird which plays a role from what I've read.

So I'm no expert, but maybe if you give babies and momma a separate compartment within the coop (a medium sized cardboard box that mama can come and go from easily would probably work...it's similar to what we have set up) where everybody can hear them and potentially see them, it will be fine. Probably best to let the rest of the gang back in during the evening, which is when we introduced three new adolescent hens and a roo to our flock of three after their mates were killed....no problems at all.