If they are free in the (shoveled) fenced garden area will they try to fly over the 7 foot fence to go back to their former home? It's not next door, but across the road and down a lot, (we are in a neighborhood with 5 acre treed lots.)
I was planning to let the garden space be their winter...
I just fell into chickens when my neighbor gave me two of his leghorn pullets because their flock was picking on each other. It's well below freezing, and we have about 2 feet of snow on the ground. He helped build a makeshift coop out of pallets for winter. I have it in my fenced garden area...