Do you count your chickens before bed?

[Dottie the Chicken]

Well today I’m wishing that I had counted the main coop last night.
I lost a crele penedesenca pullet to something. I know I did a cursory glance around at lockup to check for stragglers, but it was kind of dark, so if she had been hunkered down in the weeds, I would have still missed her.

And actually, it’s possible a hawk or something came during the course of the morning. Because the feathers, and hunks of skin and feathers, that I found were very obvious, and I didn’t notice them when I opened things up this morning.

So even though it will be impossible to count multiple piles of half grown chicks all over the place, I will be doing a more thorough check of the bushes and weeds outside the coop at lock up time now.

Aw, that's too bad that you lost her . Maybe if all the chicks were up perching, it would be easier to count them?

 

[Gallinarium]

I count all thirteen, and I don't even free-range them. When I had my earlier flock of twelve, I sorted them into three groups of four, the "Ladies", the "Fastsos", and the "Savages". I would count one group at a time, since I could easily identify each bird on sight. It made it harder to lose count. I think using that method, I would give up at over fifty.

 

[Folly's place]

I've been counting 74, the same way, in groups.
Mary

 

[Hidrainja4]

I'm probably the only weirdo who does this but I count all my birds and go down the list telling them all goodnight and that I love them . Yeaaaaah they literally get a whole tucking in lol!

I tell them I have never hurt you , I only feed you and take care of you and I will never hurt you. My neighbors look at me like I am off my rocker. Glad I am not the only one.

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

I recently lost several of my flock to a pair of fox. I count my chickens multiple times throughout the day. I have 29 birds that have been named and they all get an individual goodnight every night before I head in the house. I have 13 more in my brooder that will all have names before they go out and they will all be said goodnight to as well. Right now they each get picked up and and kissed goodnight. So yeah, I guess I'm kinda weird too lol

 

[Lumikko]

I do a head count every night! First on camera and then when I lock up the coop. I have a grand total of 4 pullets

 

[City Farmer Jim]

I'm still counting our flock of 10(5 bigs and 5 littles) only because we still have young girls from 16 weeks to 12 weeks old and they like the extra attention of being checked on and occasionally being put in at night..when all are laying it will probably change to rarely counting at night.

 

[centrarchid]

I periodically count, but not every night. The adults are generally in groups of no more than 10 individuals. The roost on poles that align the chickens so I can see all without someone being hidden behind someone else. Pens are arranged so I can walk in almost a straight line to check pens. Even nest boxes are aligned to check contents quickly. More frequent counts is for those that free-range during the day. Pens in yard are set so I can see roosting birds using a spot light from standing in one or two locations. Those pens house one or two birds. Those pens are checked more frequently, sometimes more than one time per night if dogs barking. A disturbance can cause birds to bail from roost which is sign I need to investigate.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I have two coops, 4 in each coop. My chickens are pets, and I count them EVERY NIGHT. And as I leave to go back into my house, I say "Good night girls!". ♥

 

[Finnie]

Well I’m really upset with myself. Even with checking around to make sure no one got left outside (and there was one pullet on the wrong side of the fence that I had to shoo around to the gate) I still lost another pullet to a predator last night. There must just be some that have found a hidden place to roost at night instead of going into the coop.

So today I am going to make a “roll call” list of the main coop’s residents, probably arranged by groups that like to sleep together. And I am going to start counting the darn things. It’s so frustrating to lose them when it’s completely my own fault.

One thing I’ve learned in my years of chicken keeping. Most of my methods work fine until they don’t. Then they need to get changed.