When to take hen out of brooder?????

[SoCalChick]

I have a hen which hatched 2 eggs then i put two incubator babies under her - she a great mom. I have her in her own brooder box/run. When should I take her out? Or should i just leave her?

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Our broody pen is inside our large outdoor pen and so all the chickens can interact but the broody and her chicks be safe with the fence between them. We let our last broody out with her chicks when the chicks were about 4 weeks old. We did this about a half hour before they all went to bed and gradually lengthened the time together and when we saw that there was not going to be any problems. After about a week of doing that they went out full time and the broody quit guarding them by the 6th week.

 

[Mom2Cool]

I had my hen separated within the same coop as the other chickens & the other day I had wanted to keep her inside because the 2 smallest chicks were only a day & 1/2 old really but the *hen had different ideas & wanted them outside that day & she found her way around the *tiny openings on the sides of the barrier we hap put in. After that I figured mom knows best & I've just let her do her thing & we've not had any issues with the other chickens.
Here's a pic of her with them you only see 1 because she's on top of the other 2 ...

 

[ams3651]

i did the same, everyone could see everyone. I think it was about 3 weeks. I opened the corner so the chicks and mom could get back in but discouraged the others. Everyone was fine and a couple weeks later mom kicked them to the curb to roost with the others but the babies still have their feed in there and will hide there from the others sometimes.

 

[sandy sea]

25 of my chicks have been with the whole flock from day one. I had two broodies that hatched a total of 20 chicks all on the same day. All 20 chicks are watched by both hens. Another broody hatched 5 eggs 7 days later. but she is really tuff, runs the other chicks and their two moms off. I also have a broody that just hatched 10 chicks yesterday, but I had her sitting in a separate area of the coop. I an going to add her and her chicks to the flock in a few days.

 

[SoCalChick]

thank you all - for your advice- its greatly appreciated!

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
yes well the tiny opening she busted through was a spot hubby just hadn't covered. I actually had it set up so she had the small door the chickens normally use on her side of the coop. I just thought at the time that day it was a bit early for the smallest 2 to be outside. If I'd let them out I would have kept them in the enclosed area the small door leads to. Of course there I am *about to get into a shower & I look out the window & there in the middle of the back yard is this hen with her chicks & she's got them eating from the grass etc... Truly I feel bad at this point for the 2 wk old chicks I hatched from the bator that are sitting in a brooder in my kitchen still waiting to get out into the grass....

Of course this same darling hen gave me a peck on the foot today when I went out to peek at the other hen in the rabbit hutch.... LOL I guess I suddenly looked like I shouldn't be out there.... I was laughing with hubby later because she's this darling sweet Buff Orpington & yet now she looks evil coming at you. It's only a wonder the others leave her be. But actually the other chickens were all around the chicks & they left them be. I was shocked really.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
oh this is really good to hear. I had all these eggs hatching at different times & so I had 2 hens & I thought I should be separating them. So hubby blocked off the corner of the coop for me & then last week hubby moved the 2nd hen out to the rabbit hutch that's in the chicken enclosed area. Anyway I moved her out because I thought maybe the 2 hens would fight. But now I'm thinking once her chicks are both here I'll let her decide to bring them out or not. I could keep her in the enclosed area for a day or so I just don't know since I'd had them separated maybe it would have been better if I'd just left them all in together. I'd wished I had a camera in hand the other day when my big roo bent down to the tiny chick.... too cute... I was waiting for him to swipe at it but he was a gentleman & I was shocked.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
Can I ask how long you kept the area portioned off so to discourage the others? I'm thinking of trying to just take the partition down but then those chickens are awake way before me. but the chicks all seem to hid under momma if they're afraid when they're out in the yard I'd imagine they do the same in the coop.