Chickens staying out after dark.

[Imp]

I think some chickens just like the dark.
Mine go in at night, but are early risers. This time of year I go to work in the dark and they are up and wanting out before I leave. They usually will wander the yard a bit, then hang out on the deck till the sun comes up. There are 2 lights on the deck.

Imp

 

[plantmgr]

6 of my 25 did not come in last night. I looked everywhere. Thought they were goners. This morning, 5 of them were in my yard. I corralled 2 of them back into the pen, but didn't have time to get the other 3 before I left for work. One of them is still MIA. I think she's coyote chow. Probably why the others hid so long - I'm guessing they had been chased into hiding. I'm bummed. Not going to be able to let them free range anymore.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
IMO, that's best. We had been using a light in my juvenile coop for about an hour each evening to encourage them to go to bed. It was DH's idea, since the coop already had a light fixture in it. It was a hassle though, because it required going into the workshop to get the extension cord that was plugged into the battery minder on his harley, drag it out and over to the coop, plug the light fixture in and then repeat the process in reverse when we were through with it. Plus, when the light went off suddenly (got turned off) I had some birds on the roost, some not.
Yesterday was DH's first day back to work, so I didn't mess with the light. All the birds went into their coop - after they did all the piddling around that gryeyes described. They were all on the roost before I closed up the doors.
I prefer that they learn to go into the coop by themselves and not be dependent on a light. If something should happen that I can't be out there with them at bedtime I like the security of knowing that they are at least in their coop and not hanging around outside being coyote bait.
You just have to be sure that the interior of the coop isn't so dark that it discourages them from entering. Chickens don't like to enter dark spaces.

 

[austradork]

Sheesh. My girls are lazy compared to everyone else's chickens. These days, they conk out in their coop around 5:30and are totally out by 6.

 

[70monte]

I tried leaving the lights off in the coop and four out of the six were still on the floor when I went and checked on them. This whole thing is weird because they didn't do this last year at all. Even when I had a heat lamp plugged in, they all went to roost when it got dark outside.
I think part of it is that they are spoiled and when they hear the back door of the house open up, they come out of the coop hoping to be fed something. Some of them even jump down from the roost. I've just been chasing them into the coop and then go into the coop and chase the ones that are not on the roost, up on the roost and then shut out the light.

If I leave the lights off, some of them don't make it up on the roost. I guess they will be okay on the floor but I would rather them roost instead. Any other ideas?

Wayne

 

[claychickens]

My birds go on the roost as early as 3:15 if its cloudy and no later than 4:00. They are so funny.