Moved the flock

[MagistraTn]

We are in the process of moving our flock (about a 45 min drive to our new home). We are not quite sleeping there yet, but I’ve built (or rather, had some guys build for me ) a very secure henhouse & run. Do you think they will find their way into the henhouse tonight, or should I help them? I put Cutsie, our lap chook, on the roost inside and she sat there for five minutes looking around, then jumped down. Later I put her in a nesting box and she got out pretty quickly. Our beta rooster is having the time of his life, finally able to eat his fill without being bullied by our alpha, who is currently in transit.

Any advice? I have lots of treats lined up and cameras all over.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

We are in the process of moving our flock (about a 45 min drive to our new home). We are not quite sleeping there yet, but I’ve built (or rather, had some guys build for me ) a very secure henhouse & run. Do you think they will find their way into the henhouse tonight, or should I help them? I put Cutsie, our lap chook, on the roost inside and she sat there for five minutes looking around, then jumped down. Later I put her in a nesting box and she got out pretty quickly. Our beta rooster is having the time of his life, finally able to eat his fill without being bullied by our alpha, who is currently in transit.

Any advice? I have lots of treats lined up and cameras all over.

Perhaps since you’re not living there yet, you might want to escort them in for now. Otherwise, they’re bound to find some impossible, out-of-reach high spot to roost in and claim it in perpetuity.

Lovely setup!!! How many chickens?

 

[Sefirothe]

Put food and water in the coop and keep them in the coop itself for 2-3 days to home them to the new coop.

 

[MagistraTn]

Perhaps since you’re not living there yet, you might want to escort them in for now. Otherwise, they’re bound to find some impossible, out-of-reach high spot to roost in and claim it in perpetuity.

Lovely setup!!! How many chickens?

I made sure not to have any high places (I think those two rafters in the run are too high with no in between spots). I made that mistake in the last/first coop—they all roosted (until tonight) at 8 ft and it was really bothersome . My 3.5yo barred rocks are starting to struggle to jump down that far. I’ll escort them.

We have 11 hens and 2 roosters.

 

[MagistraTn]

Put food and water in the coop and keep them in the coop itself for 2-3 days to home them to the new coop.

Thanks, I have water in there so it won’t freeze. The run is very secure—I was thinking 2 weeks in the run (before I give them pasture) to reset their gps, so to speak. Is that ok or should I pen them in the henhouse?

 

[Sefirothe]

Thanks, I have water in there so it won’t freeze. The run is very secure—I was thinking 2 weeks in the run (before I give them pasture) to reset their gps, so to speak. Is that ok or should I pen them in the henhouse?

When I moved my flock of 6 from their temporary pen to their permanent pen, I locked them all in the coop for 3 days with food and water. That way they know the proper place to lay eggs and where to roost.

My run is also very secure but I didn’t want them sleeping or laying eggs in the run.

 

[MagistraTn]

Thank you—one girl has lead the way to the roost. I’ll 100% shepherd them in for the first several nights or until they get the hang of it. They’ve been pretty happy with the new inside run so far. Everyone (except the one ameracuna) are huddling near the door saying (to me, their crazy chicken lady ), “I know we should go in there, but I don’t wanna!”