when to seperate?

[harris farm]

I have a hen with 7 chicks that are about 1 mth old. When can I put the hen back in with the other hens or do I wait till the chicks are several mths old? Now its been getting in the lower 30s at night but there is a light in the cage. The chicks still get under the hen and on top of her. Will the chicks be ok by themselves?

 

[Chick CJ]

I'm surprised the hen is letting you keep that light on! My broody let me know after a few weeks she didn't want it on anymore! She wouldn't stop squawking one night until I turned the light off, then when I turned it back on, she started up again. Finally I turned it off for good and they all settled down!

As far as seperating them, I think the hen usually makes that decision for you. I know mine did. When the chicks were around 8 weeks old she started "pushing" them away. Not letting them get under her anymore. Then by 9-10 weeks she was starting to hurt them if they bothered her. By then only one was still so attached that she wouldn't give up. I was still in the process of building my coop so I had to keep them inside for another 2 weeks but I kept her in a cage away from the chicks. They were just too dense to get her message and I was afraid she would really hurt one of them. (I should tell you, I got the broody from a friend along with some eggs for her to sit on so they were all I had at the time)

I think the chicks are feathered out enough at 8 weeks to be on their own but the transition to the cold should be done gradually so they can adapt to it. I am currently raising some chicks in the house (without a broody this time) and they are 6-7 weeks old with no light at all in the house now. During the day I am taking them out to the shed and letting them stay for a few hours so they can acclimate and hope to have them out there permanently in the next week or two.

This is going to be my first time introducing chicks to my flock. I introduced four, 5 month old full sized hens, to my existing flock of four, 5 month old bantams and that went well enough. I am a little anxious about this time though. Have you done this before? Any words of wisdom for me!!?

Cathryn