I have chickens , a lady came at 8pm and we put them straight in. Its now 7.52 am and i opened the pop hole at half 6. How do we get them out should we wait till this afternoon and see if their out when we get back from work ?
A little more info might help. How old are your chickens? This is the first day in the coop? Are you letting them out to free range, or will they be in a run? I think the standard thought is if you add new adult chickens to your coop, leave them locked in for a few days. This will help imprint this location as "home". I would feel fine leaving them to run about the run, but not free range while you are gone for the first week or so. JMO
typically you leave them locked in a few days. I have done mixed flocks and let them out on day one, but they normally don't go outside. They get a little more brave each day, eventually they will go out.
I would leave them LOCKED in the coop for at least 3 days and wouldn't let them FREE RANGE for more than a week. Do you have an enclosed run? Leaving them in the coop helps them understand, THIS IS HOME.... so they'll come back in once they go out.
We got New chickens yesterday and they are point of lays. My mum came home today and they were still in so she got a friend who has chickens to help here get the chickens out . They might need a little help getting in the coop tonight. yes it is enclosed and they wont be let out until autum because they will ruin my mums flowers .
They're just in shock from the move. They imprinted on one home and now they're in a new home. Personally I would have just let them be and they'd see you a couple times a day when you checked on them morning and night. I talk to my girls as well so they know the sound of my voice and I still do it everyday as a normal routine. I tell them "good morning ladies! It's breakfast time." and I let them out and they do whatever they want during the day outside of the coop. At night they go back on their own as the light is fading and I count them and tell them "goodnight" and lock the door. In time they'll know this as their new home and find you not so scary so much as they're not grabbed and forced to do anything they don't want. They'll know you as the person who feeds them breakfast and dinner or whatever your routine and things will turn out just fine. Good luck!
