Bedtime???

[madi99]

what time do you make your chicks/chickens go to bed?? because i have my month old chicks in their "starter coop" (basically one small coop that all nine of them can stay in for now thats easily transported) and last night i didnt put them in the closed off part until like 10:30 pm but i want to do it sooner.. what time is usually accepted as a "standard bedtime"?... Thanks!

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Dusk. They're naturally programmed to find a safe place for dark, so if you put them to bed when it starts to get dark, that will help the instinct kick in earlier. Now, I just have to walk outside when it's almost nightfall, and lock the door to my coop, because they're all inside. The ducks are a little more reluctant, I think because the pond finally cools down in the evening. But when I walk outside and say, "Ok guys, go to bed!" they file out of the pond and waddle into the coop.

 

[madi99]

i ended up putting them to bed at like 7:30... maybe too early so i'll wait a little longer tomorrow... thanks!
and thats really cute

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Chickens are ruled by the sun. It's humans who are ruled by the clock. Which is why you might need artificial light in the winter, if you want to keep them laying.

I try to remember that the raccoons come out at dark in my area. So I let them have maximum daylight play time, then make sure they're locked up safely before the raccoons start crawling out of the sewers.

 

[JanetS]

Mine start going into their coop around 7 pm every night.

 

[ChickaBamBam]

Mine head in 8:30ish just as it is starting to get dark and we go out and lock up at 8:45.
They didn't at first but after a few nights of being placed in the coop they started going in and roosting automatically.

 

[Dahlisgrams]

Our 6 week old chicks are in their new coop and go in on their own right at dusk and not a minute before. Just like clockwork! The first night in they weren't quite sure but they have the hang of things now.

 

[madi99]

Our 6 week old chicks are in their new coop and go in on their own right at dusk and not a minute before. Just like clockwork! The first night in they weren't quite sure but they have the hang of things now.

they know when to go into the run attached to the coop for "dinner"(even though food is offered all day)... so its been pretty easy to shut them in the run at like 5:30 and then into the closed part at either 7:30 or 8.. hopefully they'll figure that part on their own soon!

 

[Life is Good!]

Timing all depends on light quality. Remember, chickens cannot see very well in the dark, so when they feel it's not safe, off they go to bed!

Our coop is behind the barn (which completely blocks the western light) and underneath a huge maple tree (which blocks the sun most of the day). So our layer flock goes to bed about 2hrs before sundown. Underneath the tree gets REALLY dark early, and somehow, the chickens just know it's not safe. So off they go! The run adjacent to theirs was our meatie pen. That is NOT under the tree, but benefits from the late-afternoon shade, so the meaties didn't go to bed until sundown. Really. Was the strangest thing to me.

 

[Thassa]

Before mine went outside to the coop, the would spend the day in the yard and in what had been their brooder at night. They would always be waiting by the door between 8 and 8:30. I'd open the door and they'd make the trek through the kitchen, across the living room and into their brooder. I found it much easier to let them do it themselves than try to catch them. Now they are outside in the coop and they get to go back outside for the first time in 3 days. I wanted them to know where they sleep now. I do have a feeling that they will be waiting by the door tomorrow night.