moving hens to a new coop?

[ki4got]

I just finished my new coop, and wondering how long it'll take them to learn where to go to bed...

my birds free range, but I have a smallish pen attached, old coop on one side and new one on the other. While I was working on it, it was near the house, a couple started laying in the box before it was even done, but they all go to bed at night in the old one...

Yersterday we put it on the pen, I closed off the old house and fed them in the pen and shut the door. everyone tried sleeping out under the stars at first so hubby went into the pen and pushed everyone into the new house. it doesn't have a door yet, so a couple hours later a few were back outside. I went out, took the door off the coop and gently placed these ones onto perches, with my hand on their back until they settled in, then removed 3 hens and a roo that were sleeping in the nest (pooping all over everything too!) and did the same, putting them on perches and waiting for them to relax...

an hour later I checked again everyone was just where I left them, and this morning no more poop in the nest. (YAY!)

my question is, how long will it take them to learn where the new 'home' is so we don't have to go thru this each time? I have 4 new girls coming in I want to use the old house and pen with so they learn their new home quickly and can start free ranging too. (semi-retired EE's to go with my midget bunch)

and on a side note, my 3 roos are japanese, oegb and sultan, you think any of them would be able to breed a full sized EE?

 

[Judy]

From what I've read, I will guess a few days to a week. As for the roo, I have no idea, but it's safe to say he will try!

Just crack a few eggs and look for the bullseye:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008

 

[Florida_country_boy]

I've had to put mine to bed for a month, and it is still going on. They perch on my deck at night. Only my RIR goes to bed properly.

I also brought in a couple older birds, and they taught my girls all kinds of bad habits. They took my little girls across the field to see the horses, and now they spend all day every day there. I don't even see them until bed time anymore. lol Thinking of replacing my whole flock now.

 

[ki4got]

Well, it's fortunate for one thing, the EE's I was planning on picking up today won't be available until oct 3, because of the owner's schedule conflics, so that gives me more time to get everyone used to their new house...

unfortunate, that I broke down and gave in, letting everyone back out to roam at will... I intended to keep everyone captive for a few days to see who's been hiding eggs elsewhere. I've only gotten eggs from 2 hens so far, and I've been witnessing breeding with several more.

so... we'll see what happens tonight. i'm gone all day tomorrow so captive it will be. they can't sucker me in if i'm not here LOL.