How long to keep chickens penned up after moving to another coop?

[jphendrix]

We just recently built a new coop and run for our chickens, it is way bigger than the other one. We moved them to the new coop Tuesday of last week. We usually let them free range in the afternoon. What I need to know is how long after moving them do we need to wait for them to free range, so that they get use to their new home, and know that is where they need to go at dark?

 

[BuffOrpington88]

I would start letting them free range now, and put them back into the coop by throwing scratch inside and rounding up any of the stragglers. If you do this every day for a week or so, they should get accustomed to it.

 

[cinch920]

I would say keeping them in the coop for at least 3 days is plenty of time. They should have a good idea where home is. Also, if their having trouble finding their way back, just round'em up and pretty soon they should know home sweet home in no time.

 

[jphendrix]

We may try it after my husband gets home. He is alot better at catching them than I am, heck so is my son LOL!!!!!

 

[Spangled]

We just recently built a new coop and run for our chickens, it is way bigger than the other one. We moved them to the new coop Tuesday of last week. We usually let them free range in the afternoon. What I need to know is how long after moving them do we need to wait for them to free range, so that they get use to their new home, and know that is where they need to go at dark?

No fuss, no muss method = two weeks. I really don't like them being cooped up for that long, but it seems to do the trick.

Many times one week is enough.

I move my chickens probably two to four times a year ... depending. Different breeds can react differently. Some head for the trees because they don't like their new home very much.

What I dislike the most is letting them out after one week, then they go back near where their old home was and settle in the night. So I have to go out in the dark and try to gather them up out of trees and bushes with my headlamp on, getting poked in the face by branches. Then I have to coop them up for another whole week so that they can figure out where home is.

I used to chase them, but they end up afraid of me. So that's no good.

Once some of the girls didn't like their new rooster that I moved them in with, so they found their old boyfriend (confined in another coop/run) during the day and slept next to his coop each night. I went out and gathered them up each night for a week or 10 days ... after they had already spent a week in their new coop with their new boyfriend. So it took about 17 days total for those hens to get used to their new home and go back and sleep there each night. I felt sorry for them. I guess even chickens have a difficult time with breakups and the new boyfriend can take a while to get used to.

 

[jphendrix]

Once some of the girls didn't like their new rooster that I moved them in with, so they found their old boyfriend (confined in another coop/run) during the day and slept next to his coop each night. I went out and gathered them up each night for a week or 10 days ... after they had already spent a week in their new coop with their new boyfriend. So it took about 17 days total for those hens to get used to their new home and go back and sleep there each night. I felt sorry for them. I guess even chickens have a difficult time with breakups and the new boyfriend can take a while to get used to.

Aww!!!!! Cute story!!!!!! They missed him!

 

[jphendrix]

We let the chickens out yesterday to free range, and they did great!!!! We got a lot of funny looks at the chicks who are now living in the older one's old home, but when it got close to dark they all went to their new home, and settled in for the night! We didn't have to catch any of them!!!! Woohoo!!!! I was so afraid that they wouldn't want to go back to their new home. I think they love their new home which I have named The Happy Chicken House!!!!!!!