My hen just hatched out chicks?

Question

I read in a poultry magazine that it's okay to put the mother hen and the chicks into the same pen as the rest of the flock. But it doesn't say how old the chicks should be before doing this. I'm not worried about the roosters harming the chicks but I'm not too sure about the other hens. So, my question is how old should the chicks be before joing the rest of the flock and will the other hens harm them? They're Buff Orpingtons and they're mildly mannered, I'm not sure if that makes any difference. Thanks for your help and suggestions.

Answer 1

You can do it right away,,,mama hen will protect them...

Answer 2

You can do it right away if you want.

Answer 3

You can do it right away, but I usually wait until they are mostly feathered out, cos it protects them better from mean hen beaks.

Answer 4

I would suggest waiting until they are 3-6 months old depending on their size. Roosters and hens can be very aggressive regardless of breed, so I would be very careful about putting them in with the rest of the flock until they are old enough and strong enough to defend themselves.