Provide new backyard people with correct information chicks in house coop

[JoCoKS]

I spent a lot of time on the Internet trying to find out how long my 5 new Faverolles pullets need to stay in their coop to call it home and I could not believe the two week answer. That to me was nuts. Why? I finally got so frustrated and I called Meyer Hatchery and explained my problem with leaving my new babies in a coop for two weeks. (I thought my 3 Rhode Island Reds only spent a day but my wife and I were not sure any more) I explained the coop to me was the home they slept and had all their needs in and I thought it would be cruel to leave them in there that long and they had a very nice fenced in garden outside the coop. Kara told me the two weeks was if I wanted them to adjust to their new complete home (garden & coop) before letting them free range and not locked in a house. My girls spent the night in their new house coop and the next day after I cared for their garden area I let them loose. I keep a close eye on them during the day and in the evening I paid them special attention to see if they went home and one by one they went right into their house to sleep.
Their coop is like a house because I learned from my mistakes I made on a much smaller one that I should have insulated the floor in because they get cold thru their feet. I went back to the old coop shortly after reading that and insulated their floor to keep their feet warm and since the Cozy Coop Heat Panel was causing snow to melt I insulated the roof also. This time I used my professional architect skills and designed a larger house coop built from 2x4's and plywood so I could insulate the entire coop. I plan on putting 3.5" insulation in the entire structure to make sure they stay nice and warm in the winter. There will be vents and a screen door for air circulation to keep them healthy. I am considering building my 2x4/plywood roof so I can raise it in the summer to keep them cooler. The insulation will be between the 2x4's so when the sun beats on the roof it will not absorb the heat. I am lucky my home faces mainly north at an angle to reduce the heat from the sun but because of the angle their house gets some afternoon sun on the roof. The wall facing the afternoon sun is shielded by our HVAC unit several feet away.
I divided my chicken garden to keep the Reds on one side and my Faverolles on the other to keep peace but my Reds hate it. My Faverolles can fly like crazy (we are clipping their wings once they get more adjusted to their new home) and caused a few problems by getting out their area which has them flying home as my Reds chase them. Right now the Reds are really mad because they cannot free range because the new coop is by the gate so they have to stay home.
PLEASE POST SOME WHERE THAT THE TWO WEEKS ONLY APPLIES IF YOU WANT TO LET THEM FREE RANGE FROM A COMPLETE COOP COMPLEX AND OVER NIGHT IN A HOUSE COOP.

 

[rosemarythyme]

No clue where you saw 2 weeks, but every case is different and everyone handles it differently.

I locked my chickens in their coop for 2 days to home them to it (obviously that won't work with coops that are woefully short on space.) Mine don't free range but I find locking them in to be the easiest, no fuss way to home them to a coop regardless of set up.

 

[Ribh]

No clue where you saw 2 weeks, but every case is different and everyone handles it differently.

I locked my chickens in their coop for 2 days to home them to it (obviously that won't work with coops that are woefully short on space.) Mine don't free range but I find locking them in to be the easiest, no fuss way to home them to a coop regardless of set up.

It depends somewhat on your breed of chicken also. I have some Campines ~ notoriously flighty & skittish. They were confined to the coop run for over a month [weeks after I let the other girls out into the big run] in order to ensure they would return home to roost. As they are also fliers I was taking no risks with them. When I finally let them out they were aclimatised to the pecking order & followed my older girls home to roost.

 

[AquaDuck]

You most certainly do not need to coop them up for two weeks in their house. The transitional period is to make sure they understand that the house is their new home, and seeing as they immediately went back to their coop at night after being outside, they've accepted it as so already. The waiting period for free ranging is to not overwhelm and confuse them with new areas. Chickens are great at remembering and navigating areas, but too much new space and they can get lost. So a little at the time is good.

 

[aart]

PLEASE POST SOME WHERE THAT THE TWO WEEKS ONLY APPLIES IF YOU WANT TO LET THEM FREE RANGE FROM A COMPLETE COOP COMPLEX AND OVER NIGHT IN A HOUSE COOP.

YOU JUST DID!

But seriously, there are a wide range of situations and opinions on the internet, and here on BYC. You have to read extensively then use some judgement and common sense to decide what's right for you and your situation.

2 weeks is not a problem, if coop is roomy and ventilated well
(which it should be anyway).
My first flock stayed in the coop for that long cause that's how long it took me to build the run.<shrugs>

 

[DellaMyDarling]

Brought home a group of 6 4.5 year old hens that had never left their tiny 4x6 run in their life. Was super concerned they'd struggle to adjust to a free range life while also integrating with three other hens.

Took them from their tight coop (came with them)every AM, placed them in 10x10 kennel, returned them to coop in PM. 48 hours after arrival they were piled by the kennel door squawking at me. Let them out, no problems since, even after we completed the brand new Shed Coop.
They did try for the next week to fly into their old coop to lay. I had to convince them to try the new boxes.