Moving hens to a new coop

[Aunt Beth]

How long do I need to keep hens in new coop, so they won’t go back to old one. Also left the 2 roosters out of new coop to give hens a chance to check it out first?

 

[cavemanrich]

Not really sure how your old, and new coop are located, and set up. Will you be keeping old coop for another purpose, like young chicks, Rooster pad,
I would close up old coop, and make inaccessible to enter. Place chickens into new coop for the night. In morning open coop, and let them exit on their own. In evening, some, not all, of your chickens would go back to their old coop. Try to enter, but not able. I would physically carry those into new coop, and place onto roosts, and lock up coop. Next day,,,,,, repeat. I think doing it this way is much better than keeping chickens locked up in a coop for extended days.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and

 

[Mtnboomer]

I would lock them up in the coop for 3-5 days. Upon release make sure the old coop is closed so there can be no re-entry. There may be a straggler for the first day or so but, for me, 3 days min has been the magic number for the least amount of hassle.

 

[Aunt Beth]

Not really sure how your old, and new coop are located, and set up. Will you be keeping old coop for another purpose, like young chicks, Rooster pad,
I would close up old coop, and make inaccessible to enter. Place chickens into new coop for the night. In morning open coop, and let them exit on their own. In evening, some, not all, of your chickens would go back to their old coop. Try to enter, but not able. I would physically carry those into new coop, and place onto roosts, and lock up coop. Next day,,,,,, repeat. I think doing it this way is much better than keeping chickens locked up in a coop for extended days.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and

 

[rosemarythyme]

I locked mine in for 48 hours. First day out, a couple of them went back to the old location (coop had been removed) and sat on the ground, so I picked them up and put them in new coop. They figured it out fine after that.

If you are going the route of locking them in, make sure there's actually sufficient space inside the coop to safely do so. I only had 3 hens with a 60 sq ft coop the last time I did it. I would not lock up 12 birds in that same space.

 

[Aunt Beth]

Thankyou for your info. My coops are quite close to each other, I left the old one open for the 2 roosters for now, but I do want to close it up and use it for goats soon. I’ll let the hens out tomorrow if it doesn’t snow, and bring them back at night if they don’t go back in on their own.
Thanks again!

 

[Aunt Beth]

I locked mine in for 48 hours. First day out, a couple of them went back to the old location (coop had been removed) and sat on the ground, so I picked them up and put them in new coop. They figured it out fine after that.

If you are going the route of locking them in, make sure there's actually sufficient space inside the coop to safely do so. I only had 3 hens with a 60 sq ft coop the last time I did it. I would not lock up 12 birds in that same space.

I locked up 13 hens in an 8x12 coop, with lots of straw, so the more timid ones could hide. I’ll let them out in a fenced area tomorrow, and then free range the following day. Will the roosters be able to cope without them, or will they lure them back to the old haunt. Should I put the roosters in with the hens in their fenced area? It’s only 20x20 ... it’s temporary.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Will the roosters be able to cope without them, or will they lure them back to the old haunt. Should I put the roosters in with the hens in their fenced area? It’s only 20x20 ... it’s temporary.

I don't have roosters but my guess is the hens will go where the roosters go. So I'd put the roosters where the hens are for the time being.