First Timer - Roosting Questions/Transitioning a New Flock

[Chef Pizghetti]

Hi All,

I've been lurking on the site for a few months and have learned so much already, so I finally decided to join the forums . I am hoping to pick up my completed coop and a mix of Orpingtons/Sussex next week. I'm not ready for chicks at this point and will be getting younger hens that have already begun laying from the breeder.

I'm not sure if I'm asking this question in the right forum, but basically, I am looking for input on how to handle the first few days of transition with the hens. The coop I am purchasing is 4' x 8' and is built with the run attached. My plan is to keep 3-4 birds, with a max of no more than 6. So, once I have everything situated and I release the hens into their new home, are there any suggestions on how to help with the acclimation process? The coop will be built with 2 nest boxes and I've read that I should initially block these off or limit their access for the first few days to discourage them from permanently "setting up shop" in the boxes. Is this true? Also, any other tips that may be good to know? Is there an average for how long birds take to begin laying after they've settled in?

Sorry for being so long winded, but hopefully this makes it a bit easier to respond. I'll share some photos once I have everything set up. I have a ton of additional questions in mind, but I'll save those for later!

Thanks again!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined us!

Since you have the enclosed run, which is probably small, you could just turn them loose, but I suggest you lock them in the coop for a few days. They will get used to sleeping inside and laying in the nests better if they don't have initial access to the run. With 6 or fewer hens you should be OK in that size coop. It's when you try to shoehorn them into the minimum possible space that you are more likely to run into problems. Once a couple are laying in the nests and they go to sleep on the roosts a couple of nights, you can open the space to the run. I suggest you put a fake egg in the nest boxes to show them where to lay. Golf balls work fine.

Blocking off the nest boxes when they are laying makes absolutely no sense. Where are they going to lay? All you will do by blocking the nests off is to teach them to lay where you don't want them to. If you have enough roost space (at least 8" per chicken. Again more is better) and the roosts are clearly higher than the nest boxes, they are highly unlikely to sleep in the nests. If they do, you have other problems so get back with us.

When will they get back to laying? Probably immediately. It is possible that some or even all will be put off a bit on laying due to the move, but just because something might happen does not mean that it absolutely will. They are living animals. it is hard to predict exactly what will happen, but you can often give what is most likely to happen. Since the egg starts its journey through the hen's internal egg laying factory about 25 hours before it is actually laid, it is highly likely you will see eggs the day you bring them home or maybe the nest day. Some might skip a few days after that while they settle in, but some will probably just keep laying. They are all different.

 

[Chef Pizghetti]

Thanks for the reply and the welcome! I am looking forward to learning more and sharing once I get situated.

Question asked...question answered! Your feedback makes perfect sense. One additional question... I'm pretty sure it is standard to keep a waterer inside the coop, correct? But is it ok to feed them in the coop during the first few days as well?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I feed and water both in the coop and outside. We have so many different styles of coops and runs, we keep them in so many different conditions, and we use such widely divergent management techniques that there are very few hard and fast rules that cover all of us. There are just ways we do it and ways that fit our unique circumstances best.

 

[Henny Loggins]

I adopted some mature hens a few years ago and it took a couple of weeks for them to transition and get situated. It's been an egg a from each lady ever since.

Don't get frustrated, jsut let them be and go about their ways as natural as possible. They'll get used to their new surroundings.

I know that's not a very informative answer, but I think you just provide them with food and shelter and water and a place to run and peck and a place to lay eggs, and they'll figure it out.

 

[Chef Pizghetti]

Thanks again!