New chickens

[mamcleo]

I just got my first chickens. I was wondering, how long should I leave them in the coop before opening up the door to the run? I read somewhere that they need time to get adjusted, but I don't know for sure. Also, what is a good way to get them back in the coop at night? Thanks!!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

If your coop is ventilated well, has good light and the chickens can have water and food then 1-2 days will be good.
If your run is not to big and no chickens can escape then you won't have to keep them locked in the coop at all. They will just venture around happily and can't run off.
With roosting, all chickens, excluding perhaps silkies, like to roost on the highest bar so as long as there are no higher parts than your roost bars than they should all go up fine. If not, then you may have to keep placing them on the roost bars every night until they get it, which wont be long.

 

[aart]

Even if you have a run, it's good to keep new chickens in the coop itself for several days to a week or so.
It 'homes' them to the coop so they'll want to go back there at dusk or if alarmed or if the weather gets extreme.

Food, water, good ventilation and light are essentials in a coop, as previously mentioned, whether cooped up or not.

 

[mamcleo]

Ok. My run isn't huge (about 65 sq ft), but I'm gonna give them a few days before I let them out. They seem to be enjoying it so far.


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[aart]

If you 'home' them to the coop for a week or so,
then let them out into the run and once they are going from run to coop to roost by themselves at dark for several says in a row,
then let them free range, starting late in the days, just an hour or so before dark.
Working your way up into all day long ranging if that's your goal.

 

[mamcleo]

I want to let them free range, but due to the dogs I have, it will have to be supervised free range.


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[bobbi-j]

If I get new adult chickens, I allow them in the attached run right away, as most adult chickens will generally go in by themselves. Young ones are kept in the coop for a week or so to "home" them aart said. They don't always coop themselves at night otherwise. Good idea not to try to free range them if your dogs aren't trustworthy.

 

[mamcleo]

I couldn't help it, so I let my girls into the run when I got home from work. 4 of them left the coop almost immediately, but the other 2 took about 20 min. They seemed to really enjoy it though. I was a little worried they wouldn't go back in, but sure enough, just before dark I checked in them and they were all hanging out on their roosts. I feel a lot better about it now.

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