Chickens outside at night

Aquatic_blue

Songster
May 14, 2019
303
580
173
Southwest USA
We came home today and one our hens were out in their run after dark. She was on top of their feed bucket looking at and pecking on what looked like a broken, fragile egg. I assume on of them laid a nighttime egg on top of the feed bucket or something since there is no way to roll it out of the coop onto their feed bucket unless they carried it up there. We live in city and neighbors have motion sensor lights and such so I don't know if this is why they came out. When we were out checking on them some of the other chickens flew out and started eating big cockroaches and crickets. Should I be worried? I thought chickens stayed in their coop at night. Our chickens routinely go in at dark and I have never seen them back out before.
 
Not sure where you are, since location is not in your profile.
In warm weather chickens sometimes choose to stay outdoors if their run is comfortable. There may be something inside coop like a rodent that may have scared the chickens out as well. I don't think the neighbor's motion activated lights were enough to fool chickens into thinking it is dawn. Chickens eating crickets and other insects is a natural desire of their diet. It can be the presence of those insects that drove your chickens out of coop:idunno
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, :welcome
 
Not sure where you are, since location is not in your profile.
In warm weather chickens sometimes choose to stay outdoors if their run is comfortable. There may be something inside coop like a rodent that may have scared the chickens out as well. I don't think the neighbor's motion activated lights were enough to fool chickens into thinking it is dawn. Chickens eating crickets and other insects is a natural desire of their diet. It can be the presence of those insects that drove your chickens out of coop:idunno
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, :welcome

It has been in the high 60s - 70s at night so the weather has been good for them. Glad to know they seem to be normal in their habits. I will keep an eye on it, too.
 
We came home today and one our hens were out in their run after dark. She was on top of their feed bucket looking at and pecking on what looked like a broken, fragile egg. I assume on of them laid a nighttime egg on top of the feed bucket or something since there is no way to roll it out of the coop onto their feed bucket unless they carried it up there. We live in city and neighbors have motion sensor lights and such so I don't know if this is why they came out. When we were out checking on them some of the other chickens flew out and started eating big cockroaches and crickets. Should I be worried? I thought chickens s
in their coop at night. Our chickens routinely go in at dark and I have never seen them back out before.
I love in northern Maine already only 40 degrees at night and I have two roosters that have taken to a tree at night not too bugged about it since it was warm until tonight.. They are still in the tree my other 10 (half insist on roosting on the outside of coupe but I fetched them all i installed their 100 watt heat lamp I'm sure they would be fine I'm mostly concerned cuz of predators but my babies are still only 14 wks but they aren't scared of much and I'm their world it seems so I do head count every am.. Chickens are way smarter than I ever knew
 
I love in northern Maine already only 40 degrees at night and I have two roosters that have taken to a tree at night not too bugged about it since it was warm until tonight.. They are still in the tree my other 10 (half insist on roosting on the outside of coupe but I fetched them all i installed their 100 watt heat lamp I'm sure they would be fine I'm mostly concerned cuz of predators but my babies are still only 14 wks but they aren't scared of much and I'm their world it seems so I do head count every am.. Chickens are way smarter than I ever knew
You have two 14 week old male birds sleeping in the trees instead of the coop?

And other birds(same age?) sleeping outside the coop?

This is not a heat/cold problem, it's probably a space and/or ventilation problem.
 
You should probably lock them up at night so they don't turn into dinner for something ;)

Lol well, they aren't outside outside. We have a fenced yard and then they have a coop with an attached fenced in run with the bottom protected from anything that burrows. We haven't had predator issues so inside the fenced coop, we usually just leave the door to the inside portion of the coop open unless it is too cold or rainy. They don't seem to mind otherwise.
 
We came home today and one our hens were out in their run after dark. She was on top of their feed bucket looking at and pecking on what looked like a broken, fragile egg. I assume on of them laid a nighttime egg on top of the feed bucket or something since there is no way to roll it out of the coop onto their feed bucket unless they carried it up there. We live in city and neighbors have motion sensor lights and such so I don't know if this is why they came out. When we were out checking on them some of the other chickens flew out and started eating big cockroaches and crickets. Should I be worried? I thought chickens stayed in their coop at night. Our chickens routinely go in at dark and I have never seen them back out before.
 
My birds have always foisted inside the coop. As soon as the big girl goes in the others follow. Even though they are in a secure aviary I always close the door to keep out drafts and to make them feel safe. (I treated myself to an automatic door opener and closer - saves me getting up at 6am to let them out.)
 

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