Can i sleep in on weekends and let the birds out late?

[chickendude9]

On weekdays i let out my chickens at about 6:00AM. But on weekends when i can sleep in a little can i let them out later? Like 8 or 9?? Do they really need to be out at the break of dawn EVERYday? What you do?

 

[gamebirdsonly]

They should be fine but thats up to you.

 

[megan80568]

I do that with mine and They don't care. If Its too late my one will make some noise But that's all. There are always automatic doors if you wanna go that crazy But mine seem happy and fine.

 

[bobbi-j]

Mine get let out when DH or I get around to letting them out. I have an attached coop and run so they can be out in the run while they're waiting for me to get around to letting them out. They have food and water in the coop/run, so they're fine while they wait.

 

[animallover505]

I leave the chicken door open to the run constantly, I never close it.

 

[iamjohn]

Mine stay in until I am awake enough to let them out. If I am slow to come out they will start making noise and get very loud when they know I am about to let them out. The roosters will crow at me and the hens will be standing at the door waiting. What happens next is a chicken stampede and they swarm around me for attention.

 

[Demosthine]

It depends largely on the size of your coop and what your setup is. If you are close to the two square foot minimum for each bird, you may have problems. For me, I'm double that space and have no issues at all.

Also, having room for them to get out to a run is a fabulous way to make up the difference. They are still secure, but have extra space. I don't recommend leaving the coop door open all night unless it is in a secures run, though. You can find a thousand stories on here about predators getting in at night and killing most or all of a flock. That's not something I want to deal with.

John, that stampede is quite something! Mine literally leave a cloud of dust running to forage.

 

[iamjohn]

It really is something to see and hear. I can open the door and have nearly all of them run out and stand by or on my feet in a few seconds. I leave them in their coop until I know I can spend time checking on them because I do have predators very close by that would love to get the chicks and the coop is pretty secure. Their run is huge but I'm not done predator proofing it and I'm not sure I'd let them stay out in it over night because it only takes one predator working hard to break in anyway and wipe out the flock.

 

[chickendude9]

Mine stay in until I am awake enough to let them out. If I am slow to come out they will start making noise and get very loud when they know I am about to let them out. The roosters will crow at me and the hens will be standing at the door waiting. What happens next is a chicken stampede and they swarm around me for attention.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

My hubby usually lets my chickens out for me during the week when he gets up for work. I take out fresh water and give them their scratch. On the weekends I let them out when I am up and moving around good, unless my hubby lets them out for me. It is something to see when you finally let them out.... it's a chicken flood!!!!! only have 12.