When to let my hen & chicks out with the flock

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

Aww, so sorry to hear of this, @NikShrout. I hope your fam will heal and recover from this quickly.

 

[NikShrout]

How old are they? If under a week, your best option would be to let everyone out. Momma will integrate them. If you don't want to do that, you will need to provide a place that gives momma a healthy living space to wander and with a low roost. I would do this at any age, but after a week, the chicks become more adventurous. Do they have places to run and hide?

I now allow all my hatchlings to integrate naturally from day 1. In the past, I would provide a separate brooder run (4ft x 20ft) with a medium size dog house for nighttime. In those situations, momma would stay with them until 6-8 weeks. I would let her out and leave chicks enclosed until about 12 weeks - big enough to get out of the way.

The natural/momma way of introducing to the flock from day 1 has been very successful and a lot less work.

After reading your comment, I went to let my girls (and guy) out for the day and my Mama acted like she wanted out too, so I held my breath and let her out. I am ecstatic! She and the 3 babies came out of the run and the others didn't seem to be concerned at all. I sat outside just to make sure that all was well. There was one incident where another hen got too curious for mama's liking and they had quite a tussle. I just stood back and watched. Mama put her in her place and all is well! When the tussle first broke out, the babies all immediately squatted down together and didn't move until mama came back to get them. So amazing to watch! Thank you again for your helpful comment. I wouldn't have had the courage to let her join the flock had I not read it. I am also going to let my other broody/sitting hen hatch out naturally instead of locking her away from the others!

 

[bobbi-j]

After reading your comment, I went to let my girls (and guy) out for the day and my Mama acted like she wanted out too, so I held my breath and let her out. I am ecstatic! She and the 3 babies came out of the run and the others didn't seem to be concerned at all. I sat outside just to make sure that all was well. There was one incident where another hen got too curious for mama's liking and they had quite a tussle. I just stood back and watched. Mama put her in her place and all is well! When the tussle first broke out, the babies all immediately squatted down together and didn't move until mama came back to get them. So amazing to watch! Thank you again for your helpful comment. I wouldn't have had the courage to let her join the flock had I not read it. I am also going to let my other broody/sitting hen hatch out naturally instead of locking her away from the others!

If you’re leaving your other broody to hatch within the flock, I would suggest marking the eggs so you can remove any additions to the nest each evening. One thing to consider with leaving her is, others may crowd into the nest to lay and potentially break the broody’s eggs, unless she is not setting in a favorite nest. The whole balancing broody hens and hatching chicks can get a bit sticky. I have left them in the main coop without a problem, and I have lost entire clutches when doing so. What I have been doing for many years now is to separate mama while she’s setting, then return her to the flock when the chicks are 1-2 weeks old. They’re still pretty protective then. Good luck with your next hatch!

 

[NikShrout]

Thank you! My second hen hatched 5 of her 6 eggs! She is separated from all of the others except for 2 days after the hatch I let the other hen with chicks in the run with her with me as a referee in case it got ugly. (because I didn't have anywhere else to put them) There was only one small tussle and both mama's and their babies reside together happily now in the evening and on rainy days. otherwise the 1st mama & babies gets to go out with the rest of the flock during the day. I will do as you suggested and let second hen and chicks out when they are a little older. (1-2 weeks) hopefully she will be able to hold her own with my psycho white leghorns.

 

[DWalker]

I have a hen that hatched eggs for the 1st time. when she started setting I moved her to a kennel inside of the run because the other hens kept adding to her clutch. when the four chicks were a day old I came home from work to find two dead baby chicks out in the run. Somehow they got out and the other chickens or roo killed them. so now it's only mama and babies in the run. My question is, when should I let her out with the rest of the flock and the other chickens not kill her babies? I now have another hen sitting in the coop and I don't want to move her but am afraid of the murderous other chickens killing her babies when they hatch too. . (I have only had chickens for a year so I am new to this killing of chicks behavior )

I had 2 hens hatch at the same time so I divided a coop that I have in my chicken house. Well I put these hens and babies together but on opposite sides
One mama kept going to the other mama and picked at her babies
I petitioned them off best as I could in a hurry as I had nothing but feed sacks
She jumped the barrier and killed 2 of the other mamas babies
I presently have 4 hens with babies and it has been a challenge to separate all of them but I’ve got them separated with their babies
I never dreamed another mama would kill other babies but I learned the hard way. I do dread letting the mamas and babies out with the flock I would like to know at what age the chicks need to be to go into the flock?