They know where home is!

[Morgan7782]

I let my two girls into the yard to free range a bit, and sometimes it's a chore to get them back into their pen because they enjoy the MANY plants and foliage around my yard. So what I usually do is pick up the dominant pullet (they are 9 weeks old) and walk to the pen using Joon as "bait". Sad I know, but Munk RACES after me determind not to lose her alpha. Well today, I went to put them from the yard back into their pen, and I can't find them!

I look into the pen, turns out they were BOTH lying and taking a nap right at the door of their coop! It was SO cute! And I am glad they know where home is.

Question though: I will be getting a new coop in a few weeks, and want to know: Is it hard for chickens to be moved? They are going to a much bigger coop, and their old coop/run will be used for the chicks I am getting on June 19th. Thanks

 

[NewEnglandChick]

My advice would be to lock them in the new coop for 2-3 days before letting them out into the yard (making sure they have plenty of snacks & entertainment so they enjoy their confinement). That way they will learn this is home and this is where they need to return to.

That's what we do with our new hens each year, but maybe somoene with more experience has a better suggestion?

 

[noodleroo]

We rescued some chickens that were dumped (like people drop off dogs, cats, kittens, puppies) on our country road. They were missing tail feathers like they had been kept in a crowded pen. We had no idea where they came from, I mean, who abandons chickens??? Anyway, DH caught them at night and put them in some oak trees on our property since we had nowhere else to put them and started building a coop the next day. Finished the coop ($1,000 coop I might add, with an automatic door) in 2 days. I have absolutely no idea how they knew it was for them, but they did. The walked up the ramp and right on in just like they had been doing it all their lives. They even use the nest boxes in there even though they have 52 acres to free range.

You might want to put yours in at first, but I bet they figure it out really quick!