how long do i leave new chickens in the run

paxo · Post by **paxo** » 27 Aug 2007, 11:45

HIya I'm picking up my 3 p.o.l hybrid girls tommorrow and was wondering how i settle them in. I've read a book and says 24 hrs in the house then let them out in the run. It's a 4 x 5 house with a 9 x 3 run just thought i'd get other opinions. How long do i leave it before i let them out in the garden?
Many thanks
lorna (f+

Post by **wendy** » 27 Aug 2007, 12:03

Hi Lorna.
My first girls I got home late with, around 5pm, and shut them away for the night. My second ones I picked up last Friday and put them in the house, with a small bit of run. They came out of the henhouse after about 5 minutes and have always known where the house is.
These were ex battery hens also, so they never knew the concept of a henhouse before., and they managed.
Wendy

Dave · Post by **Dave** » 27 Aug 2007, 12:03

if the run is conected to the house let them have the
run of the whole thing
when it gets dark they will go inside the house
if you got them from a farm they will have have been
doing it for a while on the farm!
if they are ex-batts then keep them in the house
until the morning
then open the door(pop hole) and let them come out on their own.
give it a couple of days before giving them the garden
again if ex-batts give it a week!

good luck

AnnaB · Post by **AnnaB** » 27 Aug 2007, 17:14

Hi Paxo
I put my new ones into the coop for an hour for them to get over the 2 journeys they had just made. I opened the pop hole and let them come out as they saw fit. Some didn't emerge for 1/2 hour but eventually they all were out. If you have an enclosed run and they can't get lost then that is fine. I think that if they were out in the open they could be frightened or get lost

paxo · Post by **paxo** » 27 Aug 2007, 18:23

great stuff tha )t'

nks my coop and run are connected so will do as advised they're not coming from too far away so it shouldn't be a problem for travel issues for them

Al B · Post by **Al B** » 29 Aug 2007, 18:02

My girls found thier feet quickly, after being confined to the small run and coop for 2 days then let out in the larger fenced part of the garden. They are brilliant at putting themselves to bed - at the moment it is about 8.20 every evening!!
They hop up on the perch and sit and wait for me to close the door with lots of contented clucking and preening!

One question - do people always leave them with water indoors at night?Not sure whether they need it overnight as their drinker is undercover at the far end of their run.

Al B