Are Chickens active at night??

jwsmith1959

Songster
Feb 23, 2020
105
203
146
Orchard, Texas
I am a very early riser most days and sometimes am up at odd hours in the night. When I can't sleep or up super early, I will go out back for a bit of fresh air and to just listen to the night sounds. I have about 8 acres and my coop is about 50 yards behind my driveway. Almost always I hear noises coming from the coop. I have a lean-to at one end that has a plastic corrugated roof and I am pretty sure one of the hens is roosting on the high end.

What I am hearing is a hollow sound like they are bumping around on top of the lean-to roof or on the plywood tops of the nesting boxes. I know they can't really walk on that roof as it is slippery and they would slide down it. Just wondering if Chickens are normally active at all during the night. I have no lights out there and I don't want to go out there and disturb them for no real reason. I also don't like walking through the grass in the dark as we do have snakes around.

Just curious. Here is a photo of the lean-to.

Roaming1.jpg
 
My coops are not too terribly far from the deck off my bedroom. If I'm not sleeping well, I sit out on the deck in the middle of the night.
I can hear mine making "chirpy" noises and moving about. These noises are very different than the alarm noise that they make when a predator is sneaking around.
I agree that a game camera can set your mind at ease.
 
Do you have a light on outside? Lights will keep them “awake” and slightly active. I’m noticing you have an open coop, the lean-to - they may be huddling at the wall trying to get away from the opening. It’s natural for chickens to want to seek a dark and safe place to sleep. You mentioned also it’s predator proof, but the chickens might not know that. Just a thought….
 
The camera suggestion is an excellent one. You'll be surprised at what you will see. Normally, chickens don't move around much at night as they have very poor night vision. But if they are disturbed by a predator they may panic and make noise.
 
No chickens sleep while the sun is down.
Not the entire time. Not even most of the time.
Chickens sleep in spurts at night.
This.

I have cameras on my flock. It doesn't matter when I peek in on them. Most are awake. I can see their eyes glowing in the IR light and some are preening themselves. Some are asleep.
 
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Do you have a light on outside? Lights will keep them “awake” and slightly active. I’m noticing you have an open coop, the lean-to - they may be huddling at the wall trying to get away from the opening. It’s natural for chickens to want to seek a dark and safe place to sleep. You mentioned also it’s predator proof, but the chickens might not know that. Just a thought….
Chickens don’t mind a little light during the night at all.

It’s good to have a light and airy coop.

Mine prefer to roost at the extension I made some years ago which is very light and airy. The old darker coop was abandoned by choice. Only the nest boxes who are attached, are still in use. The old dark coop has proven to be a good place for chickens who seek a safe place to settle out of sight form the bossy types.

edited: abandoned
 
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