Constantly laying in the dark?

[Cacique500]

Anyone else have a hen that insists on coming down from the roost and going in the nest box when it's pitch black outside? It's every day from 5:30 am to 6:00 am.

The light is from the IR camera...it's pitch black inside and outside.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

One of my hens does this as well. I guess she just wants to get to the box before everyone lines up. Liking getting up a bit earlier to be the first one to use the shower. Except in that analogy you have to imagine there are 15 people and 4 showers but everyone insists on using the same shower lol.

 

[Dmontgomery]

I let my chickens out to free range every day when it is light enough for me to see them clearly. It is usually 15 minutes or so before the sun actually peeks over the horizon. By that time, it is still very dark in the coop but a little light in the run area. I always have at least 2 and sometimes 5 eggs waiting for me. I can hear the hens getting off the roosts a good hour before they get out while it is still pitch black out. Some just like to get down early to their favorite nest I guess.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Up to 3 of my 5 girls lay in the nest boxes, from a half hour after sunset to 5am. Most are still warm, but I have found 1 or 2 cold, some days. I got 1 today at 5am, she was still in the nest box, but on her way out. The egg was warm and wet. I open the coop and turn on the lights at 5am daily. Lights are dimmed to nightlight brightness at 9am and shut off a half hour after sunset when I lock up the coop. I check for eggs at that time. GC

 

[Cacique500]

Thanks for the experiences...just seems strange with all we hear about them not being able to see at night...and they manage to navigate around other chickens, down ramps, and into boxes, (and sometimes back up to the roost) all in the dark!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks for the experiences...just seems strange with all we hear about them not being able to see at night...and they manage to navigate around other chickens, down ramps, and into boxes, (and sometimes back up to the roost) all in the dark!

Exactly. It’s a good reminder to question a lot of the common knowledge on this forum, including stuff I say. We all have different experiences, mine will be different from yours. That’s a big reason I try to use weasel words like normally or usually instead of always.

I’ve had the same experiences with the eggs. And I find chickens that were on the coop floor when I turn the lights out usually make their way up to the roosts even if it is extremely dark. How much of that is vision versus memory I don’t know.

 

[aart]

... That’s a big reason I try to use weasel words like normally or usually instead of always.

Oh, that sounds so derogatorily and deviously sneaky...haha!
I prefer to call them 'modifiers' and try(see there's another one) to always use them,
Cause, you know, live animals write nothing in stone.



Cool video...no ambient lights around at all...and she always does this??

 

[lazy gardener]

My husband just read something on the net the other day (it was on the internet, so it must be true) that said that chickens can detect day light about an hour before the human eye can. I don't doubt it, b/c Jack has been crowing in the morning well before any sign of dawn.