Chicken Logistics- Sleeping, Laying, When Does it all Happen? Newbie here!

[taffers]

Can I ask some VERY beginner questions? I've done so much research, but I feel like I haven't found anything on the very very basic logistics of what happens when the chicks move to their coop, start laying, etc.

So assuming you put your hens in the coop at night, what do they do in there??? Why do they need roosts? Do they sleep on the roosts or do they sleep in their nesting boxes? If they don't sleep in their nesting boxes, do they only go in there to lay an egg and then come out?

Will they lay eggs at any time- like will they randomly go in the coop during the day to lay an egg, or is something they always do overnight or in the morning?

And what if I leave their coop and run open all day and night (which I think I will do since we have a secure run)- does that make any difference?

I'm sure these are stupid questions, but I'm a little lost!

I am at least one up on most of my friends, who have asked me how I will get eggs with all hens and no rooster!

 

[donrae]

I'll start in reverse order...

I don't have a door between my run and my coop. My birds have the choice of either, all the time. I've had birds chose to sleep out in the run from time to time, but for the most part they go in the coop to sleep. If your run is predator proof, I personally don't see a reason for a door to be opened and closed all the time. Myself, I like to sleep in from time to time, and prefer not to have to run my schedule around my animals

Chickens are roosting birds, they like to sleep off the ground once they're grown. Baby chicks sleep on the ground, and it's variable when the start roosting. I've had 6 week old chicks follow momma to the roost, and right now I've got a cockerel coming 4 months who still sleeps on the ground. I never worry about where they sleep, except......

They should not sleep in nest boxes. Chickens poop a lot while they sleep, and pooping in the nest box is a bad thing. A little poop on an egg now and then isn't an issue, but your nest boxes are going to get icky fast if they're sleeping there and pooping all night.

Chickens like to sleep on the highest available perch, so it's a good thing to have your roosts be higher than your nesting boxes. I have some that sleep in the rafters of the coop, as high as they can physically get.

Nesting boxes are pretty much just for laying eggs. As your hens get old enough to lay, sometimes they spend a lot of time just hanging out in the nest box. It'll drive you crazy! And even once they start laying, some young hens just take their time. I have young hens take over 2 hours in the nest. Some older hens just pretty much pop in there, lay, and they're out in like 20 minutes. Not much else happens in nest boxes.

Most hens tend to lay in the mornings, but it's an individual thing. Most of mine spend the day like this...wake up, down from the roost, get s drink, stretch, preen, maybe eat. I feed them, then they just hang out in the run, going in the coop as they feel the need to lay or eat more, or just scratch around in the coop bedding. The day is spent scratching on the ground, dust bathing, and just hanging out. When it starts getting dark, they head to the coop and it's the "jostle for position" game to get the best spots on the roosts, or close to the rooster. He seems to have the prime territory

Hope that helps some. Chickens are great, and they're really a lot easier than some folks want to make them. Enjoy them, and picture that look on your littles' faces when you get those first eggs

 

[taffers]

Thank you so much- that really helped!

Ugh, I was worried about the roosts. We bought this coop: http://cconly.com/coop__hutches/cc-78_series
where the roosts are at the level of the nesting boxes. I knew I read somewhere on BYC that some people have had trouble getting their hens to roost on such low roosting posts. I meant to tell my husband to try and put them higher, but I forgot, and he's already built the entire thing as is. I may have to add a roost at the top.

Thanks again!