When should i let my hen integrate her baby chicks into the flock

[Ry27]

Basically I had a broody hen so I let her hatch her babys . fast forward and the chicks are now one week old. I have kept them in a doggie cage that is quite large for the first week of the chicks lives, which was up on a table in the coop. Then I put then on then ground to start to get to know the other birds, anyways I was wandering when can I let my hen and her babies out of the cage? Will my rooster attack them? Will my other hens? Also will momma help integrate them?

 

[Debbie292d]

We never separate a hen and her eggs or chicks from the rest of the flock to begin with. She takes care of them from Day 1. The other hens know to stay away and the rooster protects her and the babies. Let the hen be the mom. She knows what to do.

I would change the feed in the feeders to chick starter though as the older chickens can have the chicks' feed, but the chicks can't have their feed. We'd found the older chickens like their food better than their own, but it has less calcium so we put out oyster shell for the hens.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I'm going to go the other direction based on my own experience with my 'not so Dad of the year' incident, recently.
My boy Kong went after Joannie my head hen trying to mate her with 1 week old chicks in tow the first time I let her out to free range with the flock. Since then he's been nothing but good with them and no issues when I let the other 2 broodys out for the first time. (I've got 3 broodys with chicks at the moment.)

Almost like first time dad, but then it clicked. So my suggestion is just to monitor closely that first time to see how he reacts, it's no fun when your heart stops when chicks are scattering.

Pic was taken immediately following the uh-oh moment, and you can almost see Dad mode setting in.

 

[MountainWoman73]

I have let broodies hatch 3 times. I never kept mine confined. I gave my momma and chicks half of the chicken coop and access to the yard and garden outside the run fence. Separating them allowed her to do her thing without other birds interfering or eating all the chick feed. But they could all still see each other. After about 4 days she seemed ready to go in the run, so I just opened the door and let them in. No trouble.

 

[RubelliteRose]

Keep an eye on them, but Momma should take care of her babies We had our broody, Pippin, separated while sitting on eggs since other hens were trying to join her in the nest and broke a couple of eggs. None of her eggs ended up hatching. We then gave her day old chicks and opened the partition. She started integrating the next day. Ron, our #2 rooster tried harassing her the first week(but didn't touch the chicks). Pippin beat him up, so he started ignoring her and the chicks. Now that the chicks are 3 weeks old, they have been fully integrated into the flock. Yesterday, I gave the flock a small cantaloupe as a treat. Ron tore off a piece of cantaloupe and specifically gave it to the babies.

 

[heatherbell2]

I guess it depends on your flock. My hen Opal hatched her first two eggs that I let her sit on. I miscalculated the days & one hatched earlier than expected & I found it deeply wounded from which it was not able to recover. Opal, is a mottle cochin, so I can only assume that she got over powered by a flock of much bigger birds, so out of an abundance of caution, I separated her with her weak chick & other egg that hatched the next day. The wounded chick passed but the 2nd baby is rocking along with momma & she's doing a good job.

 

[heatherbell2]

Opal & 2nd chick

 

[chickachicka12345]

lookin' good!!