For those who lock up their birds EVERY NIGHT:

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I had let the girls out to free-range one day early on in their lives and it just so happened that the neighbor came by with his very very large brush mower thingy and scared them all away. That night I did a head count and found out I was missing one. I looked and looked but couldn't find her and I thought she was gone for good. However, the very next morning I found her INSIDE the run sleeping under a bush. She must have jumped back in somehow. She was SO relieved to be back with the girls. This was before I had my rooster, now he keeps everyone together.

 

[TrystInn]

We lock up each night, partially because our idiot chickens can't seem to figure out that their entry is within the pen and not the huge front doors. They will curl up at the front door of the coop and wait for me to open the door, then pop inside. Sometimes the ladies decide the rooster shouldn't come inside the coop and we find him crouching miserably on the wood pile at the back of the coop.

There's one gal, a Blue Andalusian, who prefers to roost in the trees. Drives me bonkers, especially when the other ladies join her!

 

[Terri O]

My main coop has too many birds to count every night! They all get let out in the morning and I lock in who ever is in at night--well after it is dark right now. I have turkeys that are still roosting in the trees, a few hens and guineas with them and some of the guineas go into the coop--I think the older ones. I have a crazy hen that roosts on a stall door with all her babies. A few hang out in the shed part next to the coop. I am glad that the raccoons seem to be asleep--no losses out of the trees or sheds!
The only one that I move when it is dark is my Salmon Fav. He is not sure where he wants to live so I throw him in the coop when I go out to lock up. He is my only one and I dont want him to become anyone's dinner! Terri O

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
Same here. If I did a head count, I would be up 'til time to turn them back out. I shut the doors at dark thirty and let them out when I get up every morning. I guess a chicken or two might not be where they are supposed to be, but if they don't go in I'm not going out looking for them.

If something gets them maybe it'll improve the gene pool.

 

[PepsNick]

A few nights ago they were free ranging all day, so I figured they'd go in for the night as usual. Well THAT they did, but Daddy here didn't lock em' up! The next morning we hear "Cluck, cluckcluckcluck gimme some fooood" at the door.

Luckily all was okay.

 

[FrizzlesRule]

I do head counts every night and my chickens are not all in one place since I have 6 roos.

I love each one, but they don't all love each other and since my bantams are all pets, I have five of them as house pets and don't usually get out much in the lousy winter weather unless they are in a pet thingy. I usually take my roo Spike with me when I go somehwere.

 

[shellyga]

Missed counting before locking in ONE NIGHT.. that was all it took. Two hens were not where they should be.. in the morning, one was walking close to the coop.. the other was found dead down our rural road - Hazel was my favorite...

I have a couple that will not get back at dusk for whatever reason.. they are always in a flowerbed on the other side of the fenced in front yard.. when locking up after dark.. I shine the light up there on my walk to the coop.. get them back in if need be.. and lock for the night.

Keep in mind that I just have 12.. HOWEVER.. just hatched out 16 chicks and set more eggs.. as the count total gets larger.. I will have to find new methods.

Shelly

 

[Country Parson]

I'm pretty good about making sure all my girls are where they should be, though my kids are not always so careful. I'll occasionally find a lone girl outside the coop in the morning. This resulted in one casualty this past Summer (we find her remains a few months back when clearing out a large bush).

For me, things are simple since we don't have a large flock:

1 Rooster
2 Barred Rocks
2 White Rocks
2 Buff Os
2 Golden Comets
1 Black Sex Link

3 Muscovy Ducks
4 Pilgrim Geese


I've just added 6 Dark Cornish, but they are penned separately and don't currently free-range.

 

[clairabean]

I have. Once. When we went out in the morning an angry hen was looking down at me from the TOP of the trampoline net pole. Who knows how she got up there. After a bit of coaxing she hopped down on to the trampoline.

That scared the wits out fo me, as we have many raccoons just waiting for a tastey chicken midnight snack.

 

[shay20]

You are not alone.
I have a certain coop that has semi young one, teenagers, and i wa sopening it to let them free range when it was warm, well night i closed the doors thinking they were all in, well went out the next morning and frost on the ground and ont you know there in a pile in the middle of the yard 5 of my younger ones cuddled together , my god i thought they were dead, but they were fine, sooo yep i have my share on not counting and regreting it.