Introducing chicks to their new coop

[trueblue1]

we are moving our chicks to their new coop in a couple of weeks, should I bar access to the nesting boxes?
If so for how long?
Do I allow them to roam their run during this new coop acclimation time?

(The chicks will be 7 weeks by then...8 are almost fully feathered, 4 are still going through the feathering stage).

 

[wwdubose]

I had originally planned on moving mine to their permanent coop at 8 weeks, but did not have it ready until they were 9-1/2 weeks old. I had them a roosting bar in their brooder box, so they took to the roosts in their new coop immediately. I did however keep all of the nests covered until about week 18. First egg was laid around week 20. All of my nest boxes are lower than my roosting bars and since I've had them uncovered, I've never had any try to sleep in the nest boxes.

 

[hickinchik]

We are just about to start outdoor our chicks they are almost all feathered. I built a halfway house to help them get used to the weather and our older chicks to get used to them. We're going to put them out and bring them in for a couple weeks. Then a couple weeks in the halfway house for integration. Then they are in with the flock. Then we continue with our next chicks. In the meantime we have a momma with 2 chicks already in our flock.

 

[hickinchik]

Our 10 incubating inside chicks have had their
first taste of outside today and enjoyed it scratching and pecking our older hens just stared at them and didn't try to peck them

 

[hickinchik]

Our 10 hatchlings have now had a week in the halfway house and enjoyed it have now had 2 days of free ranging. Our hatchlings that are still inside will be in the halfway house tomorrow or next day. We haven't had that much pecking but with the final integration we probably will see more