Flock and Coop integration length

FarmerGirl101

Crowing
7 Years
Jun 20, 2016
1,471
2,762
332
California
How long do I need to keep my new chickens in the coop with my old ones before I let them out to free range? I've got 11 chicks that are due to go into my big coop in a few weeks to join my 4 four big girls. In the summer I tend to free range my chickens daily as we see less predators then and I was wondering how long should my new chickens stay in the coop before I let them out to free range. I've heard various lengths of time relating to keeping them in the coop.
 
Long enough for them to recognize it as where they should be sleeping at night. I know, not the answer you are looking for. but it's the best I can do.

I don't have a clue what your coop looks like or whether you have a run associated with it. I don't know how you plan to keep the chicks locked in there if your older ones are free ranging. I don't know how old those chicks will be or if they will be roosting then or still sleeping on the coop floor.

If you plan to keep them all confined in a coop and run to stop them from free ranging, I'd keep them locked up until I was comfortable they will return inside the coop at night to sleep. I wouldn't care where they sleep inside the coop, on a roost or on the floor, but I'd want them to go into the coop on her own at dark for about a week before I trusted them.

If your plan is to build a shelter inside that coop to hold them it gets harder. I don't know of any clear signs that would tell you that they see it as home. One week might be enough, it may take longer. The smaller the coop the more likely you are to have problems. If I had to pick a number knowing absolutely nothing about your facilities or their ages (which is the case) I'd say try it after 10 days.
 
My new chicks are going to be 3 months old when I put them out and my current hens are 4 and 5 years old. I have a run attached to my coop that they will be able to access and be locked in. My older hens will not be free ranging during the period of time that the new chicks are being integrated. There is enough roosting space for all 15 chickens to be in the coop.
 
Good, that should be easy. After they put themselves to bed in the coop for seven consecutive nights try free ranging.

Be out there at bedtime. I've had chickens trap themselves behind a fence and not be able to return to the coop. They want to return, they are desperate to return, but they totally ignore the open gate 15 feet away that they have been using all day to go back and forth and just try to go through that fence. A few times the first couple of nights I've had to herd some of them to the gate. After a night or two of help they get it, but some are so desperate to get back they can't think and remember that gate on their own.

Another example of why chicken TV can be better than anything on cable, satellite, or antenna.
 
I do have a fence that the chicks might go through and end up in the street or driveway so should I start with 1 hour supervised free range? My biggest worry is that the chicks might follow the lead of the big chickens who know they can't go into the street and have the chicks end up in the street because they don't know better.
 

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