Bringing new chooks home

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

Thanks Chook lassie, I think things are going fine at the moment, though its hard to tell with them being separated and all. The smaller coop for the babies is right next to the larger coop for the older hens, so they can see eachother quite clearly. Its been 3 or so days now and the older girls are still behaving as if they werent there at all. The babies seem a bit less nervous now, which is good.

My plan is to start letting the babies free range next Wednesday on their own, and then put them back and let the older ones out to free range. I will do that for about a week before I let all 4 out together. I have no clue how I am going to catch the babies when it is time to go back into the coop though... the older ones are happy to be picked up and if they are in a mood, they will chase a strawberry into the coop. But the little ones... they wont let anyone come within 10ft of them so I am not sure how that will go....

UNLESS

I let them free range at about 6pm? That way, they get a few hours of light to free range, then will go back into their coop by themselves. Would that work?

wickedwings · **Posted:** Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:22 am

They should start to put themselves away as it gets dark. You could also start handfeeding them some choice bits that you can then use to entice them into the pen when you need to. My chooks like a handfull of grain, start by feeding them through the wire, just drop a bit in the cage and retreat a little ways so they gain confidence in approaching, gradually remain there after you've dropped in the grain, then eventually you might get them to take it off your hand through the wire. Once they've go the taste for it you might get them eating from your hand or at the very least to follow a trail when you broadcast it.

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

haha, I started doing that already with some strawberries :lol:

I dont think they have ever had anything other than grains and crumble though, because they look at it like they have no idea what it is. I doubt it will take them very long to figure it out though :D

Hubby tried hand feeding them the day we brought them home (lol) but they werent having a bar of it.

It will be a lot easier to manage if I let them out later in the afternoon and they make their own way back, I can imagine my 3yo being a little over enthusiastic if we had to catch them, so its best they do it themselves.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Are Hedwig and Hermes(has she been named yet?) too small at this stage to let out free ranging without adult rooster/hen supervision to protect them? Can you make an extension to their run? Enclose their nice coop into a secure fortress?

Be just careful, MrsM of the not so fantastic Mr. Fox that lurks in the background waiting for their prey; also hawks and eagles seem to be flying around at the moment and those horrid ravens are pestering too at the moment circling The Lavender Gang's nursery.

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

Hedwig and Bagee, lol.

I thought 11w would be old enough to free range without older chickens around? At the moment they are about 3/4 the size of the RIRs I have. So far I havent seen any sign of predators, and I check our fences and the coop every day to look for signs of digging. I wouldnt let the babies out without being supervised by a human, especially since I dont know if they are the flighty type.

ThatGuy · **Joined:** Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:14 pm **Posts:** 1

When you first bring them home do you keep them from the others and worm them or put them in the coop and worm all of them together

AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Bringing new chooks home

Who is on the Forum