Tips on introducing pullets to new home?

[llowlife]

Didn't see anything relating to this.

Getting pullets next week. 10 weeks or so. No existing chickens here. Looking for tips such as...
Do I leave them inside for a period, or let them in the primary run? I have 3 runs sectioned off approx 700 Sq feet each. The 2 other runs will be opened at a later date.
Do I block off the nesting boxes for a period of time to avoid overnighting there?
When would I free range if I decide too, currently don't anticipate doing so. Hence the reason for the 3 runs.

OK this is an odd one. I have a "fake" raptor that is on a pulley. My plan was to use a rope and run it over their coop once in a while to get them used to looking up. We are in the heart of bald eagle country and I just had one fly about 20 feet away from the run at about 10 feet. I suspect she was hunting and had seen a mouse or something.

Also my roof is a lattice of yellow rope tied in about 1 foot squares. Hopefully this will discourage raptors. It moves around and looks almost solid except from the sky. Theoretically they could get in, but not out. I can't put much on for a roof due to the frequent high sustained winds. I do have nylon netting but concerned that either chickens might ( slight) get caught but more concerning a raptor may get stuck.

Sorry off target any tips for moving the new recruits in. Thx

 

[ForFlocksSake]

When I started my flock I blocked off the nesting boxes but let them roam freely in the run without locking them up first. It meant I had to chase them for the first few evenings to get them to bed but they got the hang of it relatively quick. They were younger than yours will be when I first put them outside so it may be even easier for you.

No advice on the sky predators. We have tons of hawks and covered all our outdoor chicken area with welded wire.

 

[Mvan42]

Ok

As for introducing to the new home.
2 different suggestions
* If you keep them in the coop for a day or two then, only let them in the main run for a week or so before opening the other runs they should be good.

*make sure you introduce the coop first, but you can allow them i to the main run only at first but you may need to put them in the coop at night until they learn where to go at night. Some catch one fast other need a little help learning.
Either way will work.

The extra runs you may want to introduce one at a time.

As for the fake raptor. Chickens have a awareness of their surroundings IMO i don't think this necessary. (I have seen those wiggly men things people have bought to help scar raptors away.... sorry don't know what those are called. )

As for the top of you run. I will suggest if possible a wire top or solid top. 1 ft squares any predator will be able to get in there. From bird to racoons to anything else that's hungry. Rope isn't strong enough to withstand sharp teeth from some and 1 foot squares are to large, just about anything can fit through them.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Didn't see anything relating to this.

Getting pullets next week. 10 weeks or so. No existing chickens here.

Congratulations!

Looking for tips such as...
Do I leave them inside for a period, or let them in the primary run? I have 3 runs sectioned off approx 700 Sq feet each. The 2 other runs will be opened at a later date.

Leave them inside what? The coop, or your house? At 10 weeks they are fully feathered so should be sble to handle any reasonable weather. They should sleep in the coop, locked up for safety from predators. But they can be outside during the day as long as the run is also predator safe. What are the run walls made of? If only chicken wire, that's not safe. Dogs, coyotes, raccoons can tear through that. How big is the coop? Figure 4 sq ft per bird in the coop and 1 foot of roost per bird to avoid overcrowding.

Do I block off the nesting boxes for a period of time to avoid overnighting there?

If the roosts are higher than the nests they probably won't sleep in the nests. They prefer to roost as high as they can get.

When would I free range if I decide too, currently don't anticipate doing so. Hence the reason for the 3 runs.

Would not free range unless I was sure they would be safe from all predators including free ranging neighborhood dogs.

OK this is an odd one. I have a "fake" raptor that is on a pulley. My plan was to use a rope and run it over their coop once in a while to get them used to looking up. We are in the heart of bald eagle country and I just had one fly about 20 feet away from the run at about 10 feet. I suspect she was hunting and had seen a mouse or something.

Chickens will be aware of overhead dangers by instinct, I don't think you have to teach them this. It won't hurt anything though.

Also my roof is a lattice of yellow rope tied in about 1 foot squares. Hopefully this will discourage raptors. It moves around and looks almost solid except from the sky. Theoretically they could get in, but not out. I can't put much on for a roof due to the frequent high sustained winds. I do have nylon netting but concerned that either chickens might ( slight) get caught but more concerning a raptor may get stuck.

If it's over their heads I don't think it would be a problem.

Sorry off target any tips for moving the new recruits in. Thx

I recommend gathering them from their existing home at night rather than chasing them around during the day trying to catch them. Much less stress on the birds. I have seen chickens die of fright and/or heat stroke, being chased around on a hot day. Can present owners put them in a dog crate the night before and let you pick them up in the morning? You might need to hose out the crate before putting it in your car. Or pick the birds up at night and transport them, put them in their coop, set them on their roosts and let them wake up in their new digs. They should be fine.

 

[ChaosMom]

We brought home three 8-week-old pullets 3 weeks ago. I let them explore their coop and run the first day. I went out at dark, expecting to have to round them up, but they were perched together on the coop roof. I got them into the coop and closed the door. The next evening they had put themselves to bed in the coop about 10 minutes before dark, and they’ve done the same ever since. Got lucky, I guess.

 

[llowlife]

The coop is 6 ft high chainlink and thick gauge welded wire also 6 foot tall. Chain link fence dug in and buried on the outside of the runs. Same around the coop. Expanded metal covering all openings. Not done yet, will have barbed wire along the top of the fence. Several strands.
The coop has 20 feet of roost for 12 birds and over 5 Sq per bird.
I live on 400 acres and have the apex predator. He keeps it very clean. He is a 205 lb boerboel. Once he knows the chickens are meant to be here they will be safe and probably protected. It's been his job for 400 years.

Think what you will but if it doesn't belong here it gets killed. We usually dispatch 20 to 30 coyotes a year. Raccoons, skunk, woodchuck badger and fox.

There will always be predators my plan was to keep them safe at night. Idk if I can keep them 100 percent in the day. I suspect there will always be a way in, over, under, or around. Hopefully I do my job well until I find all the loopholes. Then I get to deal with the very small predators. I have traps set all over my property. Badgers and fox, etc. Hope I don't come across as an ass, I was raised by a Montana pioneer woman who stated. "If I didn't hit what I was shooting at we didn't eat that night" she was a no nonsense woman. Thx for the tips keep them coming ill try to come up with a better roof system. Solid won't work up here on the hill. 50 mph winds are common.

 

[llowlife]

I never thought about the transportation issues

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do I leave them inside for a period, or let them in the primary run?

IF the coop is large enough and well ventilated enough to meet or exceed the common numbers you see here (and you're not in a heatwave) then it's not a bad idea to leave them inside the coop for a week or so to help home them to it.

Conversely you can give them some run access, but you may need to go out nightly to put them back in the coop if they don't do it themselves. How long it would take them to pick up on that would vary on a case by case basis - they can coop themselves the first night, or they can give you the runaround until you wonder if they'll ever figure it out...

Do I block off the nesting boxes for a period of time to avoid overnighting there?

Optional. I've never had an issue with chicks sleeping in nests. But it doesn't hurt to block it for a few weeks either.

OK this is an odd one. I have a "fake" raptor that is on a pulley. My plan was to use a rope and run it over their coop once in a while to get them used to looking up.

No need for the training, the chickens will instinctively want to take cover if something is spotted coming at them. They will also learn warning calls from things like crows or squirrels that signal a bird of prey is in the area.

Also my roof is a lattice of yellow rope tied in about 1 foot squares. Hopefully this will discourage raptors. It moves around and looks almost solid except from the sky. Theoretically they could get in, but not out. I can't put much on for a roof due to the frequent high sustained winds. I do have nylon netting but concerned that either chickens might ( slight) get caught but more concerning a raptor may get stuck.

Possible, but unless the rope is so thin that they can't see it (and it's not) BoPs are usually good at spotting that there's something in the way and not plowing into it. We've seen 2 hawks come in and peel off abruptly once they spotted our netting.

 

[Mvan42]

Are you able to buy a plastic fencing
? They sell around here at least plastic fencing. It would be better than the rope for the top of the run but still not a perfect protector from animals like racoons but from raptor predators it will help. This shouldn't be a problem with the higher winds.

I have hard wire over mine.
Also since you have chain link sides, you may want to put some hard wite or smaller fencing around the bottom part of the chain link. For one smaller chicks can get through those larger holes. This will prevent them from getting outside the run at the time you don't want them free ranging.

Also if you could post pictures of your setup that will help with suggestions.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

have hard wire over mine

Hardware cloth? The metal stuff that has either ½" or ¼" openings? Kind of like screen only way heavier?