Chicken behavior; normal or not?

[crazy chicken ladies]

My chickens seem to be going against certain things that I've read.
For instance, I read that they don't come out at night to eat or drink. Mine do, several times a night.
Is this going to affect them in any way? affect their egg laying?
Then there are things like, they like to stay outside when it storms.
And, what are they doing when they run their beaks back and forth on the wire of their run?
We find our girl to be quite entertaining. We watch them and they watch us. We talk about
them and they appear to be talking about us as well, lol.
I'm learning a lot about being a chicken tender. And, I know that I still have a lot more to learns.
Thanks y'all for taking the time to read this. Any help I can get is greatly appreciated.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

what are they doing when they run their beaks back and forth on the wire of their run?

Ours do that to get food off their beaks. Especially after eating fruit, they wipe their beaks on the wire, their feathers, our arms, pretty much anything!
I wouldn't be concerned, I'm sure it's normal. Good luck with your girls!

 

[The Chicken life chose me]

Yes, mine are night owls too

 

[FunClucks]

If you have light in the area, they may be able to see enough to eat (exterior outdoor lighting during the night). If it is dark enough, they will stay on the roost and not eat at night.

We have a dark area where the coops are. None of them eat at night. But if I go out with a headlamp to do chicken chores after dark, the CX would try and go eat some more. Otherwise they'd stay settled for the night. Whenever the CX have enough light to see by, they will eat. My eggers, on the other hand, once they have a full crop they're settled for the night.

I put out a dog bowl for my eggers an hour before sunset. It helps the low totem pole chickens or anyone who didn't fill up earlier have a full crop before bedtime. Once the crop is full, they roost for the night and stay there.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you have light in the area, they may be able to see enough to eat (exterior outdoor lighting during the night). If it is dark enough, they will stay on the roost and not eat at night.

x2. Although I've seen a few folks claim to have an oddball that will wander around in the dark, chickens really don't see well in the dark so they should stay on their roosts and not eat and drink at night. But if you have enough ambient light around (or you leave the coop lit all night) then yes they will want to eat and drink.

If you do have the coop lit for some reason, I'd suggest turning off whatever light you have in there. Animals need darkness for a good night's rest.

 

[crazy chicken ladies]

Ours do that to get food off their beaks. Especially after eating fruit, they wipe their beaks on the wire, their feathers, our arms, pretty much anything!
I wouldn't be concerned, I'm sure it's normal. Good luck with your girls!

I didn't even think of that. All I could think about were the old movies
where the men in the jail cells used their tin cup, back and forth, on the cell bars
to get the guards attention lol.
Thank you for your insight. I'm learning so many things about chicken that I would
have never imagined before. They are definitely interesting

 

[crazy chicken ladies]

Thanks everyone.
Yes, we have motion sensor lights that come on randomly during the night.
I thought that was probably what was affecting the girls. I keep the coop door open as I
figure that it gets rather hot in there when it's all closed up.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

All I could think about were the old movies
where the men in the jail cells used their tin cup, back and forth, on the cell bars
to get the guards attention lol.

Thank you for your insight

Of course, anytime!