when to put broody and babies back with the flock?

[CoffeeCow]

I have my broody and her chicks in a separate room, attached to the coop, when is okay to let the babies go out with the rest of the flock?
my coop is in a 20x20 shed and is partitioned thusly

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sorry for the bad art... but you can see the smaller area is where the mom and chicks are, and the larger area to the right is the common coop area. the left is storage/my shop.
anyway, she can see everyone, and I think she wants to go out with them... the chicks are only a week and a half old. they hatched on the 22nd, 24th, and 25th (3 total)

what age is best to introduce the chicks to the flock?

 

[Judy]

My setup is similar. The 5 chicks went THROUGH the fence for the broody pen at about 4 or 5 days so I had to let mama out as she was freaking out. I watched to be sure it would work OK, and it did. A good mama protects her chicks -- and often the roo will help her; both of mine do.

If I were you I'd go ahead and try it now, as mama may be ready to kick them out into the world, and she may not protect them if she is through being a mother. The mama is supposed to stay with the chicks at least 4 weeks, but mamas don't always do what the book says.

 

[theguy67]

I have run into the same question that you have it appears. I hatched mine 26-28 with out broody hen. I would go ahead since they have a mom to protect them ( if shes not sick of them). Anyone know for chicks that dont have a broody of when they can meet the flock??

 

[chicks4kids]

I always have the chickd and mama in a similar set up as yours, isolated from the flock for the first week. A week after they've hatched and learned mama's commands, I open their door so they can go out into the main coop with the others, but I also leave it open so the mama can take the babies in there at night so they are still in a familiar spot when they sleep.

 

[CoffeeCow]

let them out with the rest of the flock this morning, all is well so far