Moving Chickens to New Coop

[yawningreyhound]

Hi everyone! The time has come to bring my chickens over to my new coop from where they've been living at the neighbor's coop.

These birds came to us together to an existing flock, lost 2 of their little flock of 7, and are still good friends among the 5 of them..their present flock is 32 total, with one mild-mannered darling Polish rooster.

Am I OK just bringing them over midday? I was going to do the take them while they're catatonic at night, but since I'm not introducing them to an existing flock, is that necessary? Besides, how odd would that be for them? Go to sleep in the place you've known for 5 months and wake up in a completely different situation . . . or do chickens just act like dogs and for the most part "live in the present." This will be the SECOND move for these poor gals!

They are 1.5 year old gold laced Wyandottes.

Nice, friendly chickens.

We were going to wait for nice weather, but I think the terms Colorado and nice weather are just not going to be able to be used together this winter. Been here all my life and this has been the weirdest fall and winter EVER.

Oh, and will this move be considered a stressor--I know it will be stress, but serious stress? I bought some stress electrolytes to add to their water just in case.

Their arrangements will be similar so far as roaming room and free ranging in the daytime, nighttime will be a brand new experience in a tiny 41"x45" nicely furnished (if we do say so ourselves) coop. Compared to their existing 8x10 converted-to-a-coop Tuff Shed. Culture shock to say the least, BUT there will be 27 fewer birds to compete for prime roosts with!

Thanks all!

Marcia in Colorado
(where it's supposed to snow AGAIN tomorrow!)

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

I would say moving them in daytime would be fine, although I've never had to move my flock.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

You can just move them during the day. The move-at-night thing is to introduce to an existing flock.

Yes, this move is a stressor. There's not way around it, chickens get stressed by any change at all. Adding electrolytes can't hurt, might help.

The biggest thing to do when moving birds to a new coop is to lock them inside the coop for 5-7 days so that they begin to think of it as their home. If you let them out to forage right away, they won't have imprinted on the new place and won't go back inside at dusk. Even after they've been locked up for a week, they still might not understand where to go right away for the first few days and you'll have to go out at dusk and find them and put them in. After a few nights of this, however, they'll finally "get it" and you won't have any more problems.