New older chickens to add

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

My DIL's father gave us eight of his easter egger chickens that are going to be 3 years old in April. When I got them this summer I just put them in the tractor that I use for my broilers. They have been allowed to free range with my existing chickens and seem to have integrated well but they still go to the tractor at night. I don't want to keep them in the tractor all winter. I have a section of my coop that is set up as a brooder and I have moved the new girls into there tonight. My question is...how long to I keep them in the coop before letting them out to free range again and will they go to the coop to roost or will they try to go back to the tractor?

Thank you for any help you can offer.

 

[MimiChick]

I'd keep them in the new area about a week before free ranging. And try to get the tractor somewhere pretty much out of site. Do you have any kind of run attached to the coop so they can go outside, but not completely free range?