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Bringing Chickens Home For The First Time

chickens

So you’ve worked out how much room your chickens need, designed your chicken coop and your chickens, chicks, or pullets are on the way.

We can still remember the excitement of waiting for the delivery of our new chickens- our first question was: I wonder how long it will be until they lay their first eggs!

Are you wondering what you need to do when they first arrive and how you can get them off to the best possible start in life?

Well, look no further, because we’ve written exactly what we did when we received our 18-week old hens and how we got them laying sooner rather than later.

Just before we get into the meat and bones of this article, it’s assumed that you don’t currently have any chickens at home- as introducing new chickens to an existing flock is a completely different process.

Chickens

What To Do When Your Chickens First Arrive?

Although the temptation is for you to be very loud and excited when they first arrive, this is the worst thing you can do.

Your chickens will be very confused and daunted after their journey and they will be afraid of any loud noises.

Read more about transporting chickens humanely.

The best thing you can do is carry them into their coop and lock them in there. They will normally be delivered inside a cardboard box, make sure to leave them inside the cardboard box and just place the box inside the coop.

You can then open the top flap of the cardboard box so the chickens can leave the box once they are feeling confident enough.

The only other thing inside the coop at this point should be some water and pellets or crumbs which can be spread on the floor.
7 Surprising Rules for Feeding Chickens
Check up on your chickens in a few hours and you will find they have probably left their cardboard box and are happily roosting together. If they are still inside the cardboard box lift them out one-by-one and place them on the roosting bars.

The reason behind leaving them locked in their coop for the first 24 hours is that they will realize that the coop is their home.

Then when you eventually let them out into the pen, they will happily return to the coop to roost in the evenings.

In our experience chickens who haven’t been kept in the coop at the start, tend to be stubborn and don’t return to their coop in the evenings without ‘persuasion’!

Check Local Ordinances

It’s best to double-check the local laws in your area. Some areas have changing ordinances when it comes to raising chickens.

You can check with the city clerks and see if it’s perfectly legal to raise chickens in your backyard or farm. There are also local laws available online that you can easily browse over.

If you are getting chickens for the first time, the last thing you want is to be reprimanded for not following the laws in the first place.

Do Some Research Beforehand

When getting chickens for the first time, you need to do some research beforehand. This means knowing the basic needs of your chickens when they get home.

It also pays to continue your research about raising chickens even if you already have them.

For instance, you need to know more about moving chickens to new coop or how to manage the flock with new ones.

Continue Learning

Raising chickens is an ongoing learning process. You get to grasp new things and other experiences that you weren’t able to research.

Continue learning and take initiative as you get more exposed to raising chickens. You’d be amazed at the things you could learn from experience firsthand.

Introducing Them to Their Pen

Once they’ve spent 24 hours in their coop it’s time to introduce them to their pen/run for the first time. This is always an exciting moment and a great opportunity to get a really good view of your new chickens.

It’s important at this point to say don’t force your chickens out of their coop. All you need to do is open their coop door and wait.

For an added incentive you can spread some feed in their pen along with fresh water. If you’re not sure what to feed them, read our beginner’s guide to feeding chickens.

The more curious chickens will leave the coop first and explore but within a few minutes, the rest of the flock should come out and join them.

If after a few hours the flock is still inside the coop give them a gentle push out into the pen.

You can leave your chickens for the rest of the day now to explore their new environment and get comfortable!

What To Do When You Have Your Own Coop

If you’ve built your own coop, run, or yard for your chickens now is a good time to test its ability to contain them as well as the safety of the coop.

When you’re in construction mode, it can be easy to overlook important features that may allow for chickens to escape, become stuck, or even allow predators to enter.

So, even while you leave your chickens alone to enjoy their new space, it’s wise to return frequently, in the beginning, to ensure their safety and make any adjustments to their new home.

You might be surprised at what chickens can get into in short amounts of time, especially if they are flighty birds. Heads get stuck, water buckets get tipped, and birds escape.

So check back frequently in the beginning, and then taper off as the day goes on.

Introducing Your Chickens To An Established Flock

In most cases, you would need to quarantine your new chickens before putting them together with an existing flock.

So, when can I let my chickens out? After checking symptoms for any chicken disease, you can slowly introduce them to the flock after 7 to 31 days.

The best way to introduce new chickens to your existing flock is to let them free-range first. Some of your birds would greet the new chickens they meet.

But if it doesn’t work like this, you don’t need to worry. It sometimes takes 3 to 4 attempts before your new birds can adjust to the existing flock.

Bringing Chickens Home And Introducing Them to Other Pets

If you are bringing chickens home that is filled with other pets, make sure to slowly introduce them under supervision.

Dogs are often protective around chickens. However, if your dogs and cats chase them, it’s best to keep them apart.

You can even keep the new flock on their side of the farm and focus on moving chickens to new coop.

Taking Your New Chickens Back to Their Coop

When it starts to get dark it’s important you go back outside and make sure your chickens are inside their coop.

We’ve always found that by getting the chickens to use to the coop (before they are allowed in the pen) they are much more likely to go back into the coop when it’s dusk.

If your chickens aren’t in their coop yet gently move them towards the coop- we do this by using a large sheet of wood (8×6 foot).

Have a person at either end of the wood and drag the wood across the floor- moving the chickens back towards their coop.

It’s important that any move you make around the chickens is calm and slow; don’t charge at them with the wood whatever you do!

We found this great video if you need other creative ways to catch your chickens. Or if you don’t want to watch the video, look at Tips for Catching Chickens.

A great question at this point which people ask is: “is all this necessary if I’m planning on letting my chicken’s free-range”?

This is still necessary and perhaps even more important if you’re planning on letting your chicken’s free-range. Before they free range they need to know exactly where their home is.

Otherwise, you will find your chickens roosting in nearby trees if you’re not careful…

How Long Until Your Chickens Settle In?

You may find that for the following week or so your chickens need to be encouraged to leave the coop in the morning and go back to it during dusk.

As previously mentioned, to do this, just leave the coop door open and sprinkle food out in the pen.

After a week or so, they will leave and return to their coop on their own and your chickens will be settling in nicely.

It’s at this point that if you are planning on letting your chickens free range, you can take down your temporary pen and let them roam!

After their first day of free-ranging, make sure they return back to their coop during the evening.

Interested in learning more about the benefits of keeping free-range chickens?

There are certain signs to look for to check if your chickens are settling in and becoming happy in their new environment:

  • They should dig for bugs and merrily cluck as they do so!
  • Oh speaking of clucking, they should begin to cluck to each other more often.
  • Another great sign is that they will take dust baths.

This behavior will be in stark contrast to unhappy and scared hens. Unhappy hens will pace around constantly and are very noisy.

You will learn to notice the difference between a scared squawk and a happy cluck.

After a week or so, if you have any pets or young children you can now introduce them to the chickens. For the first week, we’d just let them settle in on their own without the audience!

If you do have any dogs, make sure to keep them on a leash when you introduce them to your chickens.

You might be surprised to find that chickens can actually recognize their owners’ dogs- read more here.

When Will My Chickens Start Laying Eggs?

The answer to this question mainly depends on both the breed and age of the chickens which you’ve bought.

Some breeds, such as Buff Orpingtons, can lay over 200 eggs per year whereas other breeds, such as Silkies don’t lay that many (up to 100 eggs per year).

Of course, the other factor is age.

If you’ve purchased a started pullet (a hen that’s between 15-22 weeks old) then you should find within 3-4 weeks of them arriving you will have your first egg!

You will probably find the first few eggs will have soft shells and might be slightly odd shapes, this will settle down after a week or so- if this continues read what to feed them.

However, if you’ve purchased matured chickens (aged 1 year old +) you will find they start laying sooner.

Give them several days to settle in and you should find they start laying again.

Also, you might find that they start laying as soon as they arrive, and then after a few days stop laying. This is normal. Give them a few days to settle in and they should start laying again.

As a general rule of thumb, pure breed pullets (Rhode Islands, Plymouth Rocks, Leghorns, etc.) will start to lay eggs from around 20 weeks. Hybrid pullets will start at around 18 weeks old.

One last thing to remember is the time of year greatly affects when your chickens will start laying.

If you get your chickens during the winter, then it will be a lot longer until they start laying. However, get your chickens in the spring and they should be up and laying in no time!

READ MORE: Best Beginner Chicken Breeds

Bringing Chickens Home For The First Time: Conclusion

It’s very exciting to be bringing chickens home for the first time. Still, there are many things to consider before actually putting those birds in your coop.

You want the safety of your new chickens and existing flock. So, it’s important to quarantine the new birds to detect early signs of illnesses.

Getting chickens for the first time also means preparing all the basics beforehand including the feeder, coop, chicken feeds, and the like.

Don’t forget to keep doing research once you have new chickens in the flock. You may face unexpected issues in the future and it’s better to be prepared.

Do you have any other tricks to settle in your new chickens? We’d love to hear about them in the comments below…

READ NEXT: How to Introduce New Chickens to Your Existing Flock

Chickens Home For The First Time

72 thoughts on “Bringing Chickens Home For The First Time

  1. What if I’m only going to start out w/9 chicks? What is your recommendation for placing the heat lamp for them? Do you leave the chicks in box they came in to settle down for a short time then introduce them to water/feed?
    Your video was extremely helpful it just started past the age I’ll be getting mine. I look forward to hearing from you.

    1. They will let you know about the placement of the heat lamp. If they are all bunched underneath it and are still quite cold then lower the heat lamp. If they are right at the edge of the box and look hot then raise the heat lamp up a bit…
      I would have another box ready for them once they arrive- the transporting boxes are usually very small and not ideal to keep them in for a long period of time…
      When are your chicks arriving?

    2. actually what they reccomend is not true you need to get them out of the box right away the drive and delivery and post office deal has been a lot on the chickens they have been without food and water the whole trip when they arrive get them in their brooder immediately they cant have food right away make sure first they get plenty of water to drink withing 1 to 2 hours then feed them only chick starter grower chick feed make sure to have save a chick electrolytes and save a chick probiotic they are already stressed and need water right away to survive mix 1 of each packet in one gallon of water in a gallon milk jug or a gallon water jug works best if using milk jug rinse with water only really well before adding packets after adding packets shake really well dont worry about mixing both packets in water jug they will be fine fill up waterer and give to them right away if they aren’t finding water dip their peaks just a little bit carefully the packets i talked about give them what they need and helps them replenish water in their body quickly give to the chicks for at least 3 days i would recommend longer it will help with a healthy gut if any leftovers dont worry just screw the lid on good and store in fridge to keep fresh you can get the packets at tsc and they also need to be out of box right away because if they are very young they can die or their health will be really bad without heat.

  2. I just got my first 6 chickens, banton and rooster this week! I have found this website really helpful and am genuinely surprised by how much they drink and how friendly the rooster is.. he loves a good pat

    1. Hi Chantal,
      So glad the website is helping you.
      It won’t be long until they start laying for you now 🙂
      It’s great to hear how friendly he is towards you already!
      Claire

    2. I got my australorp chickens (about 1 year old) 5 days ago and they still haven’t laid any eggs! The are taking dust baths, eating away at everything, and drink lots of water. Not sure why they haven’t laid.. im getting worried! Any tips on what it could be?

  3. I’m bringing home chicks for the first time, and I don’t know what I need. do you have a list or suggestions?

    1. Hi Mariella,
      First of all good luck and enjoy it whilst they are still young and fluffy- they grow up so fast!
      Take a look at our resource section and feel free to email us if you have any questions,
      Claire

    2. you should make sure
      your chickens feel at home in there coop and check sometimes if they are doing well and if you want to put your chickens i your backyard just before you do that leave them in there coop for 4 days.
      that is how my dad and me took care of them

  4. This is a great article! I have never had chickens and today I got 4! I am so excited but also a bit nervous. Your advice has been so helpful and full of great tips. It’s really hard to know exactly what to do so thank you so much for all your help. More info is always welcome!

    1. HI Janene,
      Congratulations on making the hardest step and I’m so happy the website is helping you 🙂 !
      Good luck on your journey and please feel free to email us if you have any problems,
      Claire

  5. Hello,
    6 days ago i purchased my first 5 chickens.. 3 warrens hens, a black rock and a buff sussex.. i have had 4 eggs up til now.. which is fine i presume for they are settling in. I have a coop (4ft x 6ft – 3 boxes) and a run (5ft x 8ft ) within a paddock @ 1/2 acre big… i keep the chickens in the coop over night… one of the edges of the paddock is post and rail with a thin wire along the bottom of the fence – there are gaps which my lovely girls could get through… i am alittle anxious about letting them out of the run into the paddock….are chickens likely to wander too far from the coop? or are they normal satisfied with the lush green paddock!
    thanks in advance

    1. Hi Dionne,
      Congratulations and its great to hear they are laying eggs already.
      At some point they will certainly get adventurous and venture to the edges of the paddock 🙂 I would use some chicken wire and make sure to block any gaps which they could escape through,
      Claire

  6. Love your website!
    I have just bought home 3 pullets and am settling them into their new coop/pen. I have had them 4 days, and in the mornings they will not come out of the coop. I have tried leaving the door open, treats downt the ladder, but even after a couple of hours, they need to be lifted out. After a few minutes, they all immediately go back inside the coop! Should I continue to force them out? Are they possibly scared of something outside? The food and water are in the pen, should I be placing it in the coop or will they eventually come out if they get hungry enough? The first couple of days they stayed out after we had lifted them out, but today they refuse to budge, and keep going back in. Please help!!! 🙂

    1. Hi Meagan,
      First of all congratulations on getting chickens and I’m sure you will enjoy them!
      That’s strange because with pullets you normally have the opposite problems- they never come in at night! 😀
      When you open the coop up in the morning lift them out and then lock the coop so they have to stay into the pen area. Make sure to stay with them for the first hour or so and give them treats to settle them down.
      Claire

  7. I have had my lovely girls for 4 weeks now still no eggs
    I let them roam in the garden during the day and they return to their coup with no problems
    They are very contented come to me when I’m in the garden and are happy to be picked up
    So what am I doing wrong .
    They are bluebell bread

    1. Hi Dawn,
      It really depends on how old they are and their diet. Make sure they are fed a high protein layers pellet and when they reach around 20-24 weeks of age they should start laying!
      Good luck,
      Claire

  8. I have just purchased 6 chooks that are 16 months old.
    I am keeping them in the chookhouse at the moment.
    How long should I keep them there before I let them out into their run

    1. Hi Christine,
      I would keep them in their coop for the first 24 hours so they can get use to their new surroundings.
      Then let them out into the run.
      Good luck,
      Claire

  9. Hello!
    I just brought home 4 hens yesterday afternoon. They’ve stayed in the corner on the ground since then and do not seem to have ventured upstairs to roost or anything. They just keep hiding in the corner on the ground. The food and water is near the door at the opposite end. Are they okay?

    1. Hi Lex,
      It sounds to me like they just need some gentle encouragement.
      Have you tried showing them the roost or run? You can encourage them with some food bribery…
      Claire

  10. Howdy, everyone. Thought I’d comment. I first started with 16 1st-year (adult) 14 Rhode Island Reds (great layers, not broodie at all) and 2 Ira Browns. My plan in September is to buy 50 Rhode Is. Reds chicks. And place them in the new coop warmer & run area at the right age.
    Things I’ve learned:
    1) chickens are nervous creatures when relocated to a new home. They stop laying and don’t move much…give ’em time…They start to act and lay normally once comfortable with their new home.
    2) chickens are very curious and live by the rule amongst the flock “monkey see, monkey do…oh my, that’s mine, I saw it first!”
    3) depending on what breed you get will determine all sorts of things: personality, laying quantity, flock behavioral temperament, etc.
    4) I never had to train my hens to go into the coop. Once the sun starts to go down and one or two go in the coop the rest all instinctively follow, (unless you leave a light on for them in the winter, as I do, to extend the feeding time), then they’ll stay out longer.
    5) for health reasons, I find it best to feed my flock 16% layer crumble vs. pellets (crumble lasts longer, ergo, is cheaper in the long run). In place of pellets, I also give them the scratch grains, they love it. But go easy on the grains…too much corn tends to scrape their insides, leaving blood streaks on the eggs. If you see that, just back off on the frequency at which you give it to them. Also, scratch grains make awesome feed for the local birds, so I fill up my birds feeders with it for the wild birds. It’s actually about 66% cheaper than regular wild bird seed from any store.
    Just a few thoughts and enjoy your flock!

    1. Hi Derek,
      Thank you so much for taking the time to share this thoughtful comment- there is a lot of great advice in here!
      Best of luck to you and your hens 🙂
      Claire

      1. Thanks, Claire. I enjoyed reading the other posts and, to be honest, I actually stumbled upon your site by happenstance. Glad I did though. 🙂

    2. I just got 10 leghorn’s yesterday. I converted an old play house to make a nice big coop. When I put the chicken’s in it yesterday they calmed down very quickly. 1 chicken left me an egg within 2 hours. How long should I leave them in their new coop? I do not have a fenced run. The chicken’s are 1 year old. I don’t want them to run off. 10 leghorn’s and 1 red rooster.

      1. Hi Mike,
        Personally, when I got my hens for the first time I kept them in the coop for 24 hours before letting them out.
        That seemed to do the trick!
        Claire

  11. first I’d like to say how much I love your site – it’s really informative. One question – I watched the video about catching chickens with the leg wire. Is this way really ok for the chickens? I mean, could you pull their hip out of socket or something? I have buff orpingtons and cochins, which are heavy birds – over 5kg, so am really unsure about using that chicken wire method…

    1. Hi Elaine,
      It really shouldn’t no! I’ve never heard of anyone hurting their hen through using the leg wire.
      Personally I prefer just picking them up off the perch but if this isn’t possible then the leg wire is fine.

  12. I would love to say that I love reading all of your responses. I bought chrisal pip probiotic bio mist from where I just purchased my 2 Rhode Island’s. First time ever for me to own hens. I don’t know what to do with the probiotic. Should would please share some light on this. Thanks

    1. Hi Miguel,
      Normally you just mix the probiotics into their water.
      The mixing ratio is normally printed on the bottle 🙂
      Claire

  13. Hi there,great article, I have a question, I just got 4 young chickens 10- 12wo (2 pullet & roo dorkings and 1 light sussex pullet) I have them in their coop atm, I dont have a run attached to their coop but a separate cage, I’ve been taking them out and carrying to the cage for time in the sun and grass and putting them back in coop, at what age can i just open the coop door and let them free range and return to coop themselves (I can’t remember what i did at this age with my last chickens that I hatched lol). Should I just leave them in coop for a week then open door or are they a bit young to grasp the concept of returning home for the night?

    1. Hi Sinead,
      Once they are out of the heat lamp they are old enough to range outside!
      I would recommend building it up by starting to let them out for an hour of ‘supervised’ free range. I find the best time for this is either first thing or an hour before they go to roost in the evening…
      Claire

  14. I am planning to buy 6 pullets in a couple of weeks 4 from one breeder and 2 from another can I get them on the same day and put in the coop together or should I get them at different times ? 2 silkies and 2 Japanese bantams from one and 2 isa Brown from another.

  15. My husband and I just purchased 4 laying Rhode Island Red hens , we traveled over 28 miles to get them and place them in their new coop when we got home.They seem relaxed and calm in the coop. We live in the south where winter is warm most of the time.
    My question is “how long will it take for the hens to start laying again?”
    Also how much laying pellets and corn chops should I give my 4 hens daily?

  16. HI there! I have just got my first 12 week sussex and banter, and am wanting a Chinese Silkie to introduce and have as a trio. Will they pick on the silkie or is it better to purchase two silkies and keep the silkies separate from the other chooks? Thanks for your amazing information!

    1. Hi Sophia,
      It’s hard to say without knowing your hens. If you do decide to introduce them remember to do this sooner rather than later 🙂
      Claire

  17. great article 🙂 , compliments ! Now I am going to get a hen from people who is already one year and a half , so I’m worried this age will be more difficult as I have noticed since I adopted another hen one month ago that was saved from the sloughterhouse , that is an ex-laying-battery chicken , where they suffer a lot and are been used as just eggmachines , also I have noticed some HUGE traumas !!! This hen is NOT HAPPY and having an unhappy hen ? yes makes me unhappy as well , I so wish I can finally see her looking for food and taking her dustbath but she does not even KNOW how to BE a chicken , al she does ? she lays down at the same old spot the entire day and night , even had to move her inside because she is not even avoiding predatory animals 🙁 , how sick is it in those industrial egg commerce ?? she gained some of her feathers already , yet she still looks so damn sad , even pethetic , I really do not know what to do , I noticed yesterday for the first time she finally ate something , all the other times i had to croptube her and ofcourse she needed medicin and other care , only now I also realised she was lonely so this afternoon I am going to get my second new hen , she should be about her age as well +- it is the same breed ! altough this kind of breed should be easy , the sussex , I find it difficult as i notice the constant noise the one I already bought constantly makes , as if she can’t exept that she has been moved and is not going to return ? it is so sad to see her like this but I hope that i can cheer her up this afternoon with a friend !!! this should do something good for her feeling , right ?? if you have some advice for placing an older hen into the coop or how to make chickens with a very bad background happy again I’d love to hear it !! p.s. : about eggs ? NO better egg then an egg from a HAPPY CHICKEN !!! freedom and shelter and food and the best ingredients ? PATIENCE AND LOVE !!!

    1. Hi Vicky,
      First I would read our articles on caring for disabled/old hens.
      It is absolutely possible to rehabilitate her. In my opinion it is best to make sure they aren’t isolated, so make sure to get another hen to accompany her.
      Feel free to email us if you need any help,
      Claire

  18. Hi there,
    We have just moved into a new property with two chickens. The old house they had only had nesting boxes which they perched on at night. We have brought them a new hutch but they don’t seem to want to go in they are perching on old tree stumps in there run. We have just placed them in the new hutch but they came out and back on the stump… will it just take a while for them to settle?
    Thanks so much 🙂
    Bonnie

  19. Hey! I found this all very helpful. We have just puchased three beautiful black rock chickens. We have had them for 4 days and they seem very scared. Is there anything in particular you suggest (other than feed and grit) that would make them happier? Dose holding them make them more or less comfortable with you? Thanks xx

    1. Hi Tara,
      Reducing their exposure to any loud bangs and noises will help. Also make sure they are getting plenty of rest.
      Over the long term, they will eventually get used to being held and will be more comfortable with this.
      Claire

  20. Hi we just brought home three pullets yesterday and had no idea what we were doing so we let them out of the box in our yard, didn’t introduce them to the coop first then had to chase them around like maniacs to get them back in. I’m now realizing we did it totally wrong and am scared we set our poor girls back a while. Will they be scared of us forever now? Help!

    1. They should be OK Heather! Just let them settle into the coop and then they can roam outside. Once they are roaming get them used to you by spending lots of time with them and giving them treats!
      Claire

  21. One of my chicken’s crest is looking droopy does this mean there is something wrong? She has lost a few feathers on her bottom also. We have had them for 2 weeks now they seemed to have settled in well, they approach you when you go to see them, eat out of your hand and one of them (the more confident one) will let us hold her.

  22. My granddaughter got 3 baby chicks about 2 weeks ago. They have been doing fine until yesterday when one chick died. Another has died this morning and the third not looking too good. Any ideas? They are in the house, with heat lamp and food and water.

    1. Hi Leslye,
      I’m so sorry to hear this 🙁 It’s really hard to say without seeing them. Can you email me some pictures,
      Claire

  23. Hi l just bought 4 chickens from the market in France.Is there anyway you can work out how old they are ?

  24. Hi! This was a great read.
    I got 2 1 year chickens 3 days ago. I already had a 3 month old one (had 2 but the other one unfortunately got killed by a dog…) I read somewhere that to introduce new chickens to the old the best was for them to have space so I just let them free in the garden when they arrived. My problem is that it is now impossible to put them in the pen…they basically sleep anywhere during the night. Is there anything I can do other than keeping food and drink in the pen and hope they will eventually go in?thx

    1. Yes, during the evening (as they go to roost) pick them up and place them inside 🙂
      Claire

  25. We just got our chickens and are raising them. There is a lot of good information here. It will really be nice to use it to help tame them. Good job! Thank you too! This will really help us raise our chicks.

  26. My daughter would like hens for her birthday! Would you recommend getting 3 pullets or 3 older hens or a mix – 2 older and 1 pullet / 1 older hen and 2 pullets? We’ve never had hens before.

    1. Hi Sally,
      Ideally you should get the same aged hens. So either 3 pullet or 3 older hens, best not to mix them 🙂
      Claire

  27. Hello I am getting chickens in 2 days ( already grown) and I’m wondering how long it will take until I can let them in the garden to run about? Can I in the morning of the day after I got them? Also when can I start stroking them and getting them used to me?
    Thanks

  28. I have 6 baby chickens. When can I put them on the chicken cage. Right now they are in the garage under a heat light.

    1. I have introduced chicks to coops and cages after 6-7 weeks without any issues. The most important thing is to make sure they stay dry and away from drafts . Be sure to transition them slowly away from lamp heat day by day so they don’t have temperature shock. After a few days of slowly weening them off of the heat lamp you should be good to go.

  29. i have just got 4 spectedily hens they did not wont to come out so we picked them up and put t5hem out side in there run . as they are only young they have not started laying do they know how amd to go in the nesting box.you edvis on how gto bring them home and intro duse them to there new coop really helped

  30. i relocated mature hens and am finding pecked possibly eaten eggs in the nest. is this stress from the move or something worse?

  31. What about chickens that are a few days to a week old? I have them in totes and are giving them constant fresh water supply, heating light, feed, their bedding is changed every few days, and they are growing very fast. Now they are trying to jump out and are jumping to the top of the feeder containers! Any advice?

  32. My ladies have been home for 2 1/2 Weeks. They haven’t started laying I got one day one and then nada. What can I do? They are cinnamon queens

  33. We got put first 5 hens on Thursday. Seem to have settled in fine. They are scratching around in the run, taking dust baths and generally seem like happy hens. But the won’t climb up onto the roosts in the coop. There is a ladder in there for them to get up but the last 2 night they have been huddled together on the floor of the coop! The farm we got them from didn’t have roosts so they haven’t had to use them before. Will they gradually learn how to climb up? We’ve had 3 eggs from the 5 hens in the first 3 days so looks like they are happy

  34. Great articles. A few days ago I got 5 hybrid hens (Isa brown, Spekeldy Maran, Cuccou Maran, White Leghorn and Blacktail). They are 13 weeks and although they go into the coop at night (had 2 nights now) they using perch, floor of coop and nesting boxes to sleep and also go in a lot daytime and sleep in there. I’ve blocked off the nesting boxes for now as they are only 13 wks and will soon open in day and block at night if they still go in them. Is it normal for them to be in the coop a lot in the day and also to not use the perch. I don’t want them to get ill as believe digistion not as good sleeping that way.

  35. I just want to say I love this site!! It’s my go to when I have a “Chicken Question” – I was raised on a farm my whole life…and apparently didn’t pay attention to the specifics. You don’t know what to ask grandma – until you come to the issue and she isn’t here anymore. ANYway – question…if you introduce new chickens and the old chickens already roost in the coop at night do you need to take the time to do this with the new chickens or will they just follow along? Thanks so much for your time and dedication on here!

  36. Hi,

    This article is very comprehensive & welldone. I am planning to setup chicken coop in my garden. Sometimes I see fox & badgers signs in my garden. Any recommendations & consideration to protect from predators to avoid disappointments please?

    Your recommendation are highly appreciated.

    Thanks

    Senthil

  37. When you ask people for advice on a good type of bird feeder, many will tell you that there is no one type that is best. They have various reasons for thinking so. There is the issue of size to consider as well as the location of the feeder relative to the home or property of the potential bird visitor.

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