How Long Exactly?

I have read one or two posts where people who have got new chooks have been advised to keep them in their shed for the first 3 or 4 days.
Is this so when they are let out they dont run away and forget where they live?
If this is the case, my chooks have a 7ft fence around the shed, so they cant run off, would I be ok to let them have the run of the run straight away?

Depending on the time of day you get them.
This is what I'd do

If you get them in the afternoon I'd put them in the coop and leave them with food & water till the next day - otherwise you might end up playing chase when its bedtime

If you get them am put them in the coop for a couple of hours then let them out dinner-time ish

Having a secure run really helps with new birds less chance of them doing a runner



Sarah

I put my chickens in there house mid afternoon and let them out the next day and they were fine they went back just as it was getting dark.They are in a run which is 70ftx10ft so i think people must leave them in  there house for longer if the chickens have alot of land to roam around in just to play safe.

We put ours in when we got home then let them out in the morning. the next evening we put them inside before it got dark.  then after that they knew what to do.
We got them in the afternoon and it was January, so they did spend a lot of the first day in there.
I remember we were told to put food and drink in the house, just in case they needed it and they tipped the drink all over the straw and newspaper bedding.