My girls are now about 8 months old and I would like to add a couple of adult hens to my flock. My girls are free range during the day and in the coop at night, with no fenced run joining the coop. My worry is about getting the new adults anchored to their new home. Will chickens try to leave when they are released into a new place? I do have a dog run that I can keep them in for awhile so they can be sort of be quarantined and get a sense of their new home, while allowing the other girls to see them. How long should I confine them this way, and what would be the best way to then get them using the coop? I worry that they will want to go back to the dog run Anything else I need to know for an introduction to a new home?
Quarantine period should be 2-4 weeks but as far from your birds as possible, work your birds first and wash up after working the new birds. The chickens won't necessarily want to wander but when allowed to roam they may not be oriented to your surroundings. They also don't know what you think the coop is. They really don't know the difference between a coop, a garage or a pickup truck in the driveway. The only way they know is if they sleep somewhere a few nights incident free, then that's home whether it's the coop or the truck. You'll probably have to put them in on the roost for a night or two or until they return to the coop on their own.
