When to let mum and chicks rejoin flock

[Shaz1522]

Hi when do you all let mum rejoin flockbwith chicks.my chicks are 2 weeks old.mums a great mum.she has coop on floor of run with devider so can see flock .but wants to come out.ive removed devider and others are staying away.
But what about the chick crumbs for chicks till 6 weeks
And will she take them back to her low coop on floor of run or try taking them up high up ladder to main coop?

 

[cavemanrich]

A few questions before I give my suggestions, and views.
What is your location? it is not in your profile, Reason; wondering about your current weather/climate conditions.
How many other chickens in your flock, including roosters, and the pecking order rank of your broody mama hen?
How many chicks do you have now?
A pix of your coop interior, and how you did the dividing would be helpful.
What do you feed the rest of your flock?
A pix of run would be helpful also.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Shaz1522]

Hi I'm in Gloucestershire uk.
I've 7 bantams a one bluebell.
All friendly.mums second to the bluebell in pecking order.the flock are on layer pellets and mum and chicks are in coop in the main run thsts sectioned off so others can see them.i also open the run for main flock so can also go into garden
I let mum and chicks out for half hour and all seemed fine but thankfully she took them back into her own bit just and took them back into test to warm up.
So I've put devider back up.
so may just do this each day for few weeks to introduce them slowly

 

[cavemanrich]

Sounds great what you are doing. When mum and chicks are outdoors in the run, are the other chickens there at same time. Reason I'm asking is; I'm hoping that mum is near chicks, protecting them, and other hens do not bother/peck/attack chicks.
As your chicks grow, they will wander further from mum. A good thing to do is; provide protection inside your run such that, a chick can run away, and hide under. The height would only allow a small chick to enter, and keep larger adult chicken out. A board placed on top of bricks would work.
Since you are feeding your chickens Layer, best way is to feed your chicks breakfast of their starter feed. Then as they are together with rest of flock, if they snack a small amount of layer pellets, it wont really hurt. Before lockup, feed them supper portion of starter.
I always suggest to peeps that have mixed flocks, (layers, non layers, roosters, and chicks) to use an Alflock Feed that has 2% calcium. For the layers, that need extra calcium, have Crushed Oyster Shells available free-choice. Chickens take in what they feel they need. (most chickens are smart to that point)
I use Alflock, and free-choice oyster shells, because some of my Senior Retired Chickens no longer lay. I only keep pets, so they all live long lives.
I also am aware that Layer feed is a good choice for individual flocks, and is a convenient choice to just "set it and forget it"