Advice for mature flock

[sahmhomesteader]

I bought 6 almost 2 yr old hens tonight for $4 a piece. Raised completely organic and pastured. I was planning on starting chickens for the first time when I order chicks come Spring, but this opportunity came up, and I hoped it would help me learn. Any advice for managing an already mature flock new to my land? I plan to allow them to free range over about 2 acres. Also, how do I get them to lay in their new nesting boxes? Any advice you feel would be helpful to a 1st timer would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you have a built coop with nest boxes and roosts higher than nests then all should go well if the birds are healthy.

Keeping some fake eggs in the nests can help but if they are mature they should know what a nest box is and will find it.

Keep them confined in the coop for the first day or two and penned in a small area near the coop for a couple more days so they'll orient themselves and they'll return to the coop every night.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

If you have a built coop with nest boxes and roosts higher than nests then all should go well if the birds are healthy.

Keeping some fake eggs in the nests can help but if they are mature they should know what a nest box is and will find it.

Keep them confined in the coop for the first day or two and penned in a small area near the coop for a couple more days so they'll orient themselves and they'll return to the coop every night.

Okay thanks so much! I don't want to mess up