Settling in new chickens.

bbam

Hi folks.
We got 4 new chickens today. Have a run fenced in and a coop feeders and stuff.
Brought them home and the lady said to keep them in the coop for two weeks to get them laying. They're young point of lay birds.

What I plan on is letting them out for a few hours increasing over the two weeks.

What is the norm ?

Askim

Hi bbam

I would just keep them in for the first day, they will come laying soon enough, I leave mine out all day, just go out as it is getting dark & check they know where to go.

I also teach them how to roost, this means putting any that are on the floor up on the bars, they learn pretty quick, this will keep the birds cleaner & healthier, I also put a bucket in the nest box in late afternoon to stop them trying to sleep there.

Small things, but it makes keeping them easier

A :-)

bbam

Thanks.
One did sleep on the floor rather than the roost, tonight I'll put her up on the roost.
How quickly do they learn to go into the coop in the evenings, I let them free for a while yesterday evening but it was difficult getting them in.

It's frustrating, been farming all my life bit never lifted a chicken until yesterday.

Helium

Good way to get them back in coop at night is a slice of bread.

After a few days they'll follow you into coop for their treat.;)

bbam

Things are going good.
They are coming out in the morning when I raise the door and throw out some food. And go back in in the evening without hearding.
However they go straight back in, now it's fairly blustery these days, are they being lazy or just sheltering from the weather?
Should I shut them out during the day or just let them at it to go in and out as they please?

Thanks.

lakill Farm

my few hens & ducks share a shed. I let them out in the morning for a free roam and come the evening feed them and water. They 9 out of 10 times will be roosted in the shed about 40 mins before dusk.

Hens can sence the weather, i saw mine running for the shed about 5 minutes before rail/hail.

Helium

bbam wrote: »

Things are going good.
They are coming out in the morning when I raise the door and throw out some food. And go back in in the evening without hearding.
However they go straight back in, now it's fairly blustery these days, are they being lazy or just sheltering from the weather?
Should I shut them out during the day or just let them at it to go in and out as they please?

Thanks.

NEVER Shut them out during day, for the one simple reason, EGGS!

They need access to nestbox or they WILL lay elsewhere and maybe somewhere very inconvenient.

bbam

Helium wrote: »

NEVER Shut them out during day, for the one simple reason, EGGS!

They need access to nestbox or they WILL lay elsewhere and maybe somewhere very inconvenient.

Doooh !
Yea I'm just being impatient... They are in and out a bit more today on their own so I'm happier...

bertie1

They are only sheltering from the weather , the wind is cutting , put an old golf ball in each nest box you have & leave it there , they will think it is another egg and it will train them to lay in the nest boxes when they come into lay. Enjoy them

EastTyrone

sorry for going of in another direction, but when I buy ew hens my existing stock get almost jealous and start pecking the new hens etc, hoe can i stop this/ minimalize it?

marvsins

Best to keep them separated for first few days. Divide your run if you can with a bit of chicken wire. This allows them to see each other and get used to each other without the violence.

Helium

EastTyrone wrote: »

sorry for going of in another direction, but when I buy ew hens my existing stock get almost jealous and start pecking the new hens etc, hoe can i stop this/ minimalize it?

That's where the phrase 'pecking order' derives from.

Just your existing hens letting the new arrivals where they stand.

Usually no harm is caused. Heard it said that if you introduce them altogether on a new patch of ground for a while not much pecking happens.

EGAR

I personally would never put new hens in with old flock unless I had quarantined them first for 2 weeks. You can wipe out your entire existing flock by introducing just one sick bird.

bbam

Well the chickens are doing great... They now spend all day out scratching and head in coming to dusk...

They have started using the poultry feeder in the last few days too...

Have got an egg for the last two days so at least one has started laying, great excitement with our girls (3 and 9 year old)..

Of course I spotted Mr Fox checking out the chicken run but I'm 99.9% confident he can't get in... it's the other 0.01% I'm worried about !

Any tips on deterring him would be appreciated