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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

In my experience, trust the hen.  All critters do better with their mothers 
(although we incubate eggs every year and have poor motherless chicks).  

Our biggest predator dangers all seem to happen at night, particularly with 
chicks, so if they are well protected at night, they should be relatively 
fine 
(that dog neighbor of yours, however, might be a problem).  Most of the hens 
I've known have ventured out with about day or two day old chicks.  And they 
are fine.  

If you don't keep the hen/chicks totally separate from the flock, there won't 
be the pecking order problems that others describe.  With incubated or bought 
chicks you don't have that option, but with chicks with a mom, you do because 
she will protect them.  Of course, we're probably in a unique situation with 
our chickens actually free ranging and only being confined at night.

Oh, with the chicks with their mom, you don't have to worry about heating 
them -- they have her to provide all the heat they'll ever need.

Denise