So you’ve just got your first chickens and now you want to introduce them to the chicken coop. It’s a really exciting time and introducing them to the coop is the first important step of getting the chickens familiar with their new home and garden. If this step is done correctly it will mean that your chickens will know where to lay their eggs and also know where to go to sleep at night, forever more.
Step 1 - Introducing the chickens to the sleeping and egg laying area
When you arrive home with your chickens, the very first thing to do is place them in the sleeping and roosting area. Any doors to outside should be closed. If it is very late in the day they should stay inside overnight, however if earlier in the day they should remain inside for about 45 to 60 minutes.
Step 2 - Allowing the chickens outside in to an enclosed area
The next step is to let the chickens out and into their enclosed run. It is very important that if you don’t have an enclosed run with the coop, that something temporary and fully enclosed is built. They can be let out into the enclosed run, but not out to fully free range just yet. They can then freely go between the coop and the enclosed run, sleeping in the coop each night with the door closed. This stage should last for at least three days, as after that the chickens are usually homed to the chicken coop.
Step 3 - Allowing the chickens to free range
The final stage is to allow the chickens free range if you wish. We recommend that the first time they are let out to free range that it is done a couple of hours before dark. The reason for this is that the chickens will not go very far and will easily find the coop for the first time. After that they can be let out to free range at any stage of the day.