How to acclimate my girls to free range?

[Godzillamax]

I've got eight seven week old layers (four Rhode Island Reds and four Americanas). The 8'x8' coop I'm building is nearing completion, but I still have more to do and expect it will be a few weeks before the girls are ready to move into their new home. They outgrew the brooder we had in our unfinished basement a few weeks ago so I built a make-shift pen in our horse barn which is where they are currently residing. To acclimate them to being outside each day we put them in a 8'x8' chicken wire pen that is on grass under the shade of a tree.

We plan on having them free-range on our eight acre property, but I'm wondering what is the best method to make the transition to this? How do I get them in at dusk? Right now the only feed they get are the chicken starter/grower crumbles (we plan on feeding them this until around 16 weeks o fage). Should we start tossing them scratch while they are in their outdoor pen or make-shift coop and associate it with a call ("here chick hick chick" or something like that). Then start acclimating them to free range and using the call/scratch to bring them in each night?

Any advice/tips on making the transition to free range would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Den in Penn]

When the coop is done just keep them in it for a week or so, that will lock them into thinking the coop is home. Then just leave them out. I would start with just a couple of hours just before sunset. They shouldn't wander enough to get lost the first few evenings.

 

[centrarchid]

When the coop is done just keep them in it for a week or so, that will lock them into thinking the coop is home.  Then just leave them out.  I would start with just a couple of hours just before sunset. They shouldn't wander enough to get lost the first few evenings.

That is right on the money. Birds are able to imprint both on coop and its location. Imprinting is very important when it comes to free-range behaviors, otherwise they get lost and do not stay with friends.

 

[donrae]

When the coop is done just keep them in it for a week or so, that will lock them into thinking the coop is home. Then just leave them out. I would start with just a couple of hours just before sunset. They shouldn't wander enough to get lost the first few evenings.

This. They're incredible creatures of habit, and once they've found a place that feels safe to sleep they're not likely to stray. Plus, they're just babies and won't go far anyway. but you want them to think of the coop as a safe, secure place.

Training them to come when called as you describe with the scratch is always a good idea! You never know when you may need to gather the girls up.

 

[ShelleyN]

What if you have two three-year old hens currently laying in the coop? I can't lock the new group in for a week. I'm about to lose my mind lugging three 11-week olds into the house every night as they don't know how to get in to the coop. They know how to get out as I bring them there in the mornings and sit them on a roost and let them find their way out. This morning the act of bringing them out chased one of the older girls out of a nest box. Now there's all sorts of complaining going on in the back yard!

 

[centrarchid]

This evening confine young birds in the coop, possibly in a location where they are not attacked by hens. Be prepared to create a barrier blocking line of sight. Repeat of a couple to a few nights.


Moving young birds to house is counter productive.

 

[ShelleyN]

Ok, so I want to make sure I understand. Around 4:30 lock the young ones in the run that is just outside the coop and let them find their way in to the coop and roosts. Then at 6:00 or so when the old broads are making their way home for the night, re-open the door to the run so they can get in. Move the little ones to a roost where the big girls are unlikely to get at them? I'm not sure if I can block their sight. The little ones are terrified of my older wyandott--who is on the bottom of her pecking order. She has always been a bossy little thing and very unhappy at her slot in the pecking order and reeeeeeally wants to make things miserable for the new additions. She cornered all 3 of them in the coop yesterday and went at them in the worst way. I'm sure they are scarred for life.