When will Mama and chicks sleep with the flock?

[zoaconner]

I have an EE that went broody this spring. She hatched out 7 chicks that are now 5 weeks old. The babies and mama have been in their separate broody house at night but run with the big girl flock (4 other hens) all day long with little trouble. I move the hen house and run (trampoline frame) every few days. It is extra work to move the broody house along with the regular hen house and run. What is the typical time frame for when mama will decide it is time for her and the babies to sleep in the big house with everybody else? She still sits on or near them at night so they are not roosting on their own yet. I am anxious to remove the second house and have everybody together...

 

[gritsar]

Since the other hens have already been introduced to the chicks, you could try shoo-ing the mama and babies into the big coop at night, when the others go in and just observe for awhile.

My broodies hatch their chicks in the coop, with the other birds right there. With the exception of one incident involving a meat bird, all the chicks have done fine. The chicks learn quickly which hens to avoid, i.e., which hens don't like kids, and which ones are okay to be around. My rooster even shares in the parenting duties. I have one hen, Ivy, that didn't care much for very young chicks. She never harmed them, beyond a minor peck or two, but they steered clear of her. Now that the youngest chicks in that coop are 7 weeks old, they have blended in seamlessly. Of course they aren't allowed on the big girl roosts yet. That's an honor that has to be earned.