will moving roost upset chickens

[cajunlizz]

YES , I would move anything and everything ALL at one time . That way they adjust ONCE , to everything changed .

My chickens even stop laying a day or 2 when I clean out the coop and add new pine shavings .

Slightest change and they stop laying . BUT they adjust quickly . ANd change will NOT make them go into a state of panic BY NO MEANS .

 

[newchicks]

It's definitely possible to keep them in that area. We'll just move everything, water tank, food, water and roost and we'll just close off the door leading into where they were for a few days. They are used to the new area because they have total free range of the whole barn and acreage during the day light hours. More great support, thank you. Anymore ideas or suggestions I'll be open to anything. I do have a couple of good books and I'm reading everything I can on BYC.

 

[Heather J]

I agree that moving it all was the best move, fewer transitions are easier on them. I wouldn't worry about what they are using as their nest boxes. If something *can* be used as a nest box, someone on this forum has done so, and even if you provide 'real' nest boxes, your girls may still choose to use the water tank anyway. Mine have two nest boxes, almost never use the bottom one (though when one lays there, they all decide it's the place to lay that day), but when we added a little shelter for the muscovies in the chicken run (they sleep in the run at night), my EEs decided *that* was the best place int he whole world to lay, and haven't used the real nest boxes since. lol My other birds tend to rotate.

 

[newchicks]

Thanks to all for your answers, I feel much more comfortable with the moving them now and I'm confident in what we're doing.