RELOCATING CHICKENS TO NEW BUILDING ON PROPERTY

[joyfulspirit]

wE have 2 coops open during spring, summer and fall. ...we just moved our recent chicks that are 6 months old from " summer" house to other building (so we only have ONE building to snow shovel during the winter months) where 11 existing birds are. Been there 2 days with no free-ranging; which they have all done all summer; everyone rubbing "shoulders". The last 2 days I had 3 escape artists and had to round them up come night fall to the new building as they were standing outside the fence by the old coop; they are stubborn. Also first night I had to pick 5 hens up and toss them in the building as they were standing at gate wanting to go back to old summer house. Was very Difficult but finally got them in. Do I keep them in fenced area/new coop one more day to reinforce where they need to be? Would that help? Or do I just have stubborn ones . . At a loss. We have 25 adult birds and nine 3-month old bandis Someone told me 30 days! They will go stir crazy. I also have one turkey, a pet of 3 years in their. Thanks guys!

 

[springvalley123]

A couple years ago I did something similar, when I moved my flock from their old pen/coop to a new larger enclosure. I had to lock them in for at least a few days, then still had a few more days of some of them frantically trying to get into the old coop to roost, and me herding them to the new enclosure to roost. I'd try a week if I had to move them again. I think it's harder because they can still see, and (almost) access their (old) roost.

 

[joyfulspirit]

A couple years ago I did something similar, when I moved my flock from their old pen/coop to a new larger enclosure. I had to lock them in for at least a few days, then still had a few more days of some of them frantically trying to get into the old coop to roost, and me herding them to the new enclosure to roost. I'd try a week if I had to move them again. I think it's harder because they can still see, and (almost) access their (old) roost.

THANK you for taking time to answer; I think a week sounds reasonable; maybe if they at least stop flying over the fence (2 hens and 1 rooster) then I will know they have accepted their new home!

 

[Rose Quartz]

I've found it depends, I've done multiple moves this year between 3 coops, I think I've moved 3 groups this year. The first group was easy. They didn't have older birds to bug them, and they liked the bigger pen.

The next group was younger birds around 7 weeks, they didn't want to be in with the older birds, I moved them from their roost in their smaller coop, before dark but after they'd all gone in, to the bigger coop with the older birds. By day 3 most of them would catch on after I picked up a few to move them and they'd follow me over, and freak out because they didn't like it, but they knew it was happening and eventually they went in on their own, with me out there. It took about a week and a half for the less brilliant ones to figure out what was going on.

The third group was older birds I inherited, who I set up in a smaller coop to keep the new older roos from fighting with mine. They were there for about a month before I moved them over. Or attempted to move them. Every night they would only go to the smaller coop. Even after I moved them, they would go back if I didn't shut the door behind them. I eventually shut the door to the smaller coop to keep them out of it. And they pouted on the step outside waiting to go in. I think it took a month total to get the older birds to figure out that they lived in the big building now.

All birds are free ranged so they had time to get used to each other.

 

[aart]

Do I keep them in fenced area/new coop one more day to reinforce where they need to be? Would that help?

It might.
Basically you are doing an integration of sorts.
Hopefully coop is big enough so they are not literally 'rubbing shoulders'.
Do you have a sheltered and secure run for when the snow starts piling up?