Do chickens sundown?

[Molly77]

I'm brand new to chickens and their behavior, so maybe this is normal? Background: I have built chicken supermax in my yard, anticipating heavy predator pressure (I'm at the edge of wild lands). I have an 8' wildlife fence around my yard. I built an 8x12 cedar shed kit that is a very solid building with a 1" plywood floor, and every place one could try to breech the house is covered in hardware cloth bolted to it with long screws and bumper washers every couple of inches. The chicken door and entry door have locked padlocks on them. It has windows with screens on one side that have HWC on the outside bolted down tight. At 8' perimeter out from the whole house/run is a 48" Premier1 poultry net. So any predator has to negotiate the electric net before even taking a try at the house. I've watched videos of a lot of different predators breaking into coops and I feel pretty solid about the security.

The chickens don't seem to at all tho. They are in full freak out mode when I bring them in at dusk. Tonight they were getting up on their roost yabbering in distress and I was near it and 3 of them flew up onto my shoulders and fought for dear life to not get off like I was the last lifeboat leaving the Titanic.

Do I need to do something to make them feel more secure, or is neurotic panic attack normal chicken behavior as it gets dark out? They are 9 week old buff orpingtons, 1 probable rooster and 6 hens. Thanks in advance!

 

[swamphiker]

Are they new to the coop? It takes chickens, especially young ones, awhile to get used to a new setup, especially if there aren't older chickens around to show them the routine. They should get used to it pretty quickly.

 

[Molly77]

Are they new to the coop? It takes chickens, especially young ones, awhile to get used to a new setup, especially if there aren't older chickens around to show them the routine. They should get used to it pretty quickly.

They've been in there for about 2 weeks. They happily go in and out during the day from house to run, and they want to come in the house at dusk but man are they upset.

 

[swamphiker]

They've been in there for about 2 weeks. They happily go in and out during the day from house to run, and they want to come in the house at dusk but man are they upset.

Chicken logic

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is the coop naturally well lit (windows) so they can see inside to navigate easily?

How early are you putting them in? I've never had to tell chickens to get in, they just do it on their own when they're ready. Some days they start heading in surprisingly early, other days they may end up having outside for a while.

 

[Molly77]

The coop has a lot of light (windows and a skylight). I had been trying to put them in as dusk started but they didn't want to go in yet. They're hard to herd because they aren't afraid of me and just crowd around my feet. Last night, I waited until it was darker to see if they'd eventually decide to go in themselves, but they didn't. They went in willingly when I got out there, but they were so upset. When they're worried or something new is happening, they seem to want to be up against the run fence at the point closest to my house. I feel bad about their agitation level--I guess I need to get cameras out to see if there are predators sneaking around that the chickens are aware of. I've seen raccoons in a creek nearby that are the largest ones I've ever seen in my life.

Is it possible for chickens to be too imprinted on a person? I had these babies in my home office in my house for 7 weeks and they are very used to me always being nearby. When I sit with them in the hen house, they all come sit on or right next to me and fall asleep.

Do your chickens just calmly go inside and roost when it starts getting dark?

 

[AinaWGSD]

Maybe try a light in the coop? Chickens have terrible night vision, so a light in the coop at dusk may make it more appealing than the dark run outside. If you don't mind going out there it can be something as simple as an electric camping lantern.

 

[Molly77]

Maybe try a light in the coop? Chickens have terrible night vision, so a light in the coop at dusk may make it more appealing than the dark run outside. If you don't mind going out there it can be something as simple as an electric camping lantern.

Ah OK, I will try that today.

 

[swamphiker]

A light is a good idea to help them figure it out. Chickens should want to go and roost at night, but yours are still young so it may just take a bit more time.

 

[aart]

Is it possible for chickens to be too imprinted on a person?

Yep.
I'd leave them cooped for a couple days nights.
Minimize your contact with them during their cooping and then once back out in the run, see if they go in themselves.

If your run is so predator safe, maybe just leave them outside instead of trying to herd them in to the coop.

Pics of coop and run, inside and out, might help here.