Do I have to keep new birds in coop for 2 weeks?

[la dee da]

Hello everyone! So we finally have our coop built and everything cleaned up and ready for chickens! Our next door neighbor has offered to give us two roosters to start out. I've heard that before you start free ranging your flock you have to keep them in the coop for a least 2 weeks so they know where home is. My neighbors birds free range, so the roosters can see and hear their old flock when they're outside. Can I let the birds into the run or is it best if I keep them in the coop for a week or two? Thank you in advance!

 

[stoopid]

Do you have a run for them?
Is there any danger of predators (hawks, dogs, owls,)?
Duh, not reading, you DO have a run.
If there isn't any chance of them running off, I would let them go outside in the run.
They may want to go where the girls are, if they are at the neighbors house.....
Is the run covered?

 

[la dee da]

The run is not covered and, for now, it's only 4 feet high, so I'd say there is a chance of them getting out if they really wanted to.

 

[dainerra]

even after 2 weeks, the roosters are very likely to keep going home to visit, since it is so close. They should return to your coop to roost at night though, once they realize that it is home. Can you get some netting to put across the run? that will keep them from flying out.

 

[la dee da]

The run is much too large to put netting over it, and I wouldn't be able to stand in it if I did put netting over it which is a very big problem as I have to enter it to open the pop door. The other chickens are on the other side of the neighbors horse fence as well as the run and they typically hang out about 400 feet away from where my coop is. Do you think they'll run off even after we get hens? I can supervise them when their out until then and the coop is huge so they'll have plenty of room.

 

[GAchick]

A four foot fence is nothing to a grown hen/rooster... They will DEFINATELY go back home. I would say even two weeks won't be enough under the circumstances. Can you make part of the run smaller, and a top on it, temporarily? In other words, make a temporary small run, completely enclosed, inside the bigger run?

 

[la dee da]

I don't know if that's possible but I can talk about it to my dad tomorrow. Would it help if I clipped one of their wings? Also when they have thier own hens do you think they'll be so determine to go back?

 

[peepblessed]

Quote:
Clipping wings may or may not help. Having their own hens will probably help but if you let them out too soon, they make take their girls with them to the neighbors. I would keep them all locked up for at least a month. Even then you may have problems.

 

[la dee da]

Ahaha well, I definately don't want my neighbor gaining my 15 hens

. I think I'll just wing it a bit, watch them while they're in the run and see their reaction. Before then I'll give them treats and get them used to me and train them to come to a call.