moving chickens into a new coop

svalentine

In the Brooder
9 Years
Apr 28, 2010
80
1
39
Efland NC
We are just about finished building the girls a new house. They are 3 months old and have been using the old house since we moved them out of the brooder. So for about 6 wks. My question is how to acclimate them to the new place and get them to go into in instead of the old one. Both are right next to each other. Will it be as simple as closing one door and opening the other and turning the light on in the new one? Or are we in for an adjustment period? They have been putting themselves to bed at night for quite some time.
Any advice?
 
Had the exact same thing happen. Built an old coop right next to the new one. I locked up the old one, but the gals didn't want to go into the new one, so naturally I was chasing chickens. Then I got the bright idea....I let them go into the old coop, then I gathered them up and put them into the new coop. Made things much easier.

So I kept them inside the new coop (it's really big) for a few days, and when I let them out again, I lured them in with some type of treat few a few nights. Worked like a charm.

Took about 5 days for them to adjust. Then we tore the old one down.
 
Thanks. At least I'm prepared now. That's a great idea to let them in the old one and then "move" them into the new one. How exactly did you do that? I have 13 chickens.
The old coop is rather smallish. It's more a big box attached to the side of the barn. I can't get in it and the only access is thru their door or the nesting box door.
Oh, and also, they don't take kindly to being grabbed.
The new house will be so much nicer. But unfortunately they don't know that. LOL.
I had hoped they would just go where the light is on. But I guess to them the new place will be someplace strange.
Here's an idea. What if we have the new house "open" for a few days before we close the old one. So during the day they can go in and explore and "make it smell like home" if you know what I mean. I could have food and water in there and they could see the cool new "digs" before I expect them to sleep there.
 
I let my flock of 8 had full access to the new coop whilst it was under construction. It included an automatic chicken door. Then I decked it out with feed, bedding, all the amenities. After about a week of their free access, checking things out, I waited until they had put themselves away in their old coop (and the new coop automatic door had closed) and carried them, one by one, to the new coop where I put them on the roosts. For two nights.

Then I closed up the old coop, which I was going to need for the chicks in the brooder at the time. The next night, the flock, confused, gathered around the old coop. I caught each chicken and carried them to the new coop, this time just opening the people door and putting each one inside until all 8 were in it. And then I did it again the next night.

The third night, I didn't have to do any of that stuff - all went into the new coop before the automatic door closed.

Even when the adolescent chicks were housed in the new coop, the original flock went to bed in their Brand New Coop. They DID go looking in the old coop once I started letting the youngsters out during the day. But nobody reverted.
 
Hi
I am not building a new house, just want to remodel a very old one with a great foundation and walls, and make a different type of roost as some of the girls are getting older, (in retirement now as couldn't part with them), and I don't want any more broken legs from jumping down from the top roost, the vet bills and stress were a lot. Would love ideas for a roost design as well if anyone else has done or even attempted to move the girls.
Thanks so much in advance!
Deb
 
Hi
I am not building a new house, just want to remodel a very old one with a great foundation and walls, and make a different type of roost as some of the girls are getting older, (in retirement now as couldn't part with them), and I don't want any more broken legs from jumping down from the top roost, the vet bills and stress were a lot. Would love ideas for a roost design as well if anyone else has done or even attempted to move the girls.
Thanks so much in advance!
Deb
Since my wife & I got chicks 7 months ago (now grown & laying), I have learned a heck of a lot about chickens. One of the things I did a lot of research on was roosts. I concluded that probably the best for the chickens is a 2" x 2", which you can purchase at Lowe's. (They are actually about 1 1/2" X 1 1/2") They come in 8 foot lengths & I got a treated one, which has a pretty good smooth finish without hardly any splinters & only cost about $3.00. You might have to look through quite a few of them to find a good straight one. Keep it on a flat surface for a few days, until it is good & dry before using it. As recommended by others, I sanded the top two corners to make them somewhat rounded. My young chickens can really hold onto them well. As I did, you can probably see examples on line, which others have done.
 
Hi,
We just built a new coup for my two chickens. Its been two or three days now where the girls are going to the old coup. We decided to leave the doors shut on the old house. But they flew on top of the old coup before dark. I picked them up, placed them on their perch in the new house. Do you think they will get used to the new house? Any other suggestions?

Also the girls are not laying eggs...just started when they were transitioned to the new place.

Thanks Debra
 
Hi,
We just built a new coup for my two chickens. Its been two or three days now where the girls are going to the old coup. We decided to leave the doors shut on the old house. But they flew on top of the old coup before dark. I picked them up, placed them on their perch in the new house. Do you think they will get used to the new house? Any other suggestions?

Also the girls are not laying eggs...just started when they were transitioned to the new place.

Thanks Debra
Keep the birds confined to the new coop for a week or so, that will 'home' them to the new coop.
Stoppage of laying can be from the stress of new place to live...chickens don't like change.
And/or if your birds are around 18 months old(give or take a couple months) they may be getting ready to molt.
 

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