Are Chickens active at night??

[3KillerBs]

Last summer when I was camping in a cabin on this property and walking to a port-a-john in the middle of the night my route went right next to the coop and I'd hear them shuffling around and chirping quietly.

Birds in general seem to sleep lightly, waking regularly to make sure everything is OK before settling back down.

 

[Aapomp831]

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

I hear that. We tried to replace one of the walls of our coop with hardware cloth bc we live in NC - but our chickens were terrified of it and all huddled as far away from it as they could. We put the wall back and just carved a triangular window at the top and covered that with hardware cloth. This reminded me of that situation.

 

[3KillerBs]

I hear that. We tried to replace one of the walls of our coop with hardware cloth bc we live in NC - but our chickens were terrified of it and all huddled as far away from it as they could. We put the wall back and just carved a triangular window at the top and covered that with hardware cloth. This reminded me of that situation.

Chickens are always afraid of anything new. They adjust in time.

 

[jwsmith1959]

Wow...thanks for all the responses.

I have a back porch light that is about 70 yards away from the coop. It does not illuminate enough for me to see the coop in the dark. I don't hear any clucking or chirping...just bumping types of noises (kind of like tap dancing for a few seconds). I know one of the hens sometimes sleeps in one of the nesting boxes as I find poop in there occasionally. They pretty much use the roosts, but as I noted in my OP, one of them has taken to roosting on the top edge of the lean-to.

I do have a game camera that I can set up in the coop, but any sort of Wi-Fi or wireless security-cam won't work as the coop is too far to pick up my Wi-Fi.

Thanks again for all the responses. Here are a couple of more pictures.

 

[3KillerBs]

Wow...thanks for all the responses.

I have a back porch light that is about 70 yards away from the coop. It does not illuminate enough for me to see the coop in the dark. I don't hear any clucking or chirping...just bumping types of noises (kind of like tap dancing for a few seconds). I know one of the hens sometimes sleeps in one of the nesting boxes as I find poop in there occasionally. They pretty much use the roosts, but as I noted in my OP, one of them has taken to roosting on the top edge of the lean-to.

I do have a game camera that I can set up in the coop, but any sort of Wi-Fi or wireless security-cam won't work as the coop is too far to pick up my Wi-Fi.

Thanks again for all the responses. Here are a couple of more pictures.

View attachment 2716288View attachment 2716289

What a pleasant, airy, shady space that is!

 

[jwsmith1959]

What a pleasant, airy, shady space that is!

Thank you. It is nicely shaded by a HUGE Wax Leaf Ligustrum and a big Pecan tree. This is a photo I took awhile back. I have covered most of the chain link areas with chicken wire as the chain link openings were bigger than my liking.

 

[jwsmith1959]

Well, I put up a game camera in the coop and found that they are active at points during the night. Probably just waking up and moving around on the roosts. I think the nesting boxes below being open in the front magnify their foot stomping (kinda like a drum), so that is what I'm likely hearing when I go out at odd hours. I was repositioning the camera the day after these photos and broke the cheap plastic clasp that is supposed to hold the strap secure. Trying to find a better way to attach it now.

Thanks again for all the responses.