When to move momma and chicks?

[Chickmomma2016]

This is our first time hatching chicks, had a hen go broody and decided to try it. Babies are now 4 weeks old, momma and babies are free ranging with the rest of the flock during the day, and they wander into the coop with no problems but she still takes them to the seperated broody box to sleep. Should I be some how encouraging her to take them in the coop at night or will she do it when she's ready?

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I would let them be until the chicks get big enough not to sleep under the hen. That way she has a nice comfortable place to sleep with them, until they are ready to star sleeping on the roosts.

 

[centrarchid]

I would base it on expectation of safety for hen and brood. Are they protected at night in the broody box as they might be roosting with balance of the flock?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know how many total chickens you have, flock make-up, or size or layout of the main coop. There may or may not be issues there.

I often go through what you are now and I don't interfere. My set-up is probably different from yours though. I leave it up to the hen as to what she wants to do. Sometimes she moves them to the main coop and takes them to the roosts. More often she weans them, goes to the coop herself, and leaves them in the outside shelter.

I generally leave the chicks alone as I can lock them up in that shelter at night as easily as in the main coop. Sometimes the chicks keep going to bed in that shelter for months, sometimes they move themselves into the main coop in a few weeks, they are not real consistent about when they do that. I've never had them keep going to that shelter forever, they generally move them selves before the pullets start to lay. If I need that shelter for a new brood I'll move them myself.

My approach is that I leave them alone unless I have a reason to move them.

 

[Chickmomma2016]

Thank you, they are safe where they are and I don't need it for another hen. I was thinking mamma would know best and do it when she's ready, just one of those things I needed confirmation for.