At 5:30, it's dark & hens should go to roost, right?

[gritsar]

Not my hens. They played outside all day. When it started getting dark and they all headed to the coop I thought they were going to roost. Nope. Several of them headed for the nestboxes instead. Six hens wanting nestboxes and I only have five, so of course there was a fight.

I've been going out there every half hour to check on who is done and needs to be moved to a roost (it's very dark in my coop). I refuse to let them spend the night on the nest cuz that'll mean lots of poopy eggs in the morning. So far, nine eggs total today, counting ones laid in the daylight, and one hen still not finished @ 7 PM.
Chickens are weird.

 

[Illia]

lol! Same here - All of the hens go to bed at about 4:30 (I live up north, so its darker earlier..) except for our New Hampshire reds and the EE Rooster - I love to call those New Hampshires ¨the kids," because they stay up as late as possible, exploring and eating whatever they can. If you go anywhere within their sight, they run up to you, and look up at you for food or whatever else you may have. The rooster is more just curious, looking out for his ladies, but the four new hampshire girls (well, one is a boy I just now found out) are really like kids! "I don't wanna go to bed!"

 

[hen-thusiast]

Silly human thinking that they would ruin their day of fun by laying an egg. You're just a party-pooper.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yep, that's me! A walking talking feed bag that lives to ruin their fun.

 

[hen-thusiast]

Quote:
Yep, that's me! A walking talking feed bag that lives to ruin their fun.

Well, at least you understand your part in the equation. Just imagine if you didn't have those opposable thumbs.

 

[ozark hen]

Mine, well most of them, will not go into the coop if the light is off. It is like they are scared. If the light is on then they all go in at night or rather this time of year about 4:30-5 p.m.

 

[Royd]

Last evening, at 5:45, I pulled into the yard. It's 15 minutes until complete darkness, and all 7 hens come running across the yard, to greet me. They were still out, playing.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Mine do all go in to roost at dusk (some even before) but then they all come down and follow me around when I go out to do chores around 6. I give them a bedtime snack and off they go back to their roosts.

 

[joyous]

I don't know if you can run electricity to your run, but I extend the day light hours by a couple of hours, not so they lay more, but because they seem to file in easily as soon as it starts getting dark outside, and that gives them an hour or two to eat, mess around or lay.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Nah, mine have never had light and they go into the coop just fine - my roo makes sure of that. They just pick strange hours to want to lay their eggs. Spoiled little wenches.