Leaving..Leave the light on?

juliawitt

Songster
10 Years
Aug 9, 2009
368
15
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I am going to leave tomorrow before sun up and I won't be home until around 7. I can't make up my mind of exactly what to do.....Let them out for the day but leave the light on in the coop so they won't be in the dark, or leave them locked in the coop? Also, if I choose to leave them in the coop, do I leave the bright light on? Will that cause them to be aggressive if they get bored? Basically, I am worried because they will have 3 hours of darkness and I won't be here to protect them..........unless I leave them "coooped" up all day. What direction is the best, please.
 
Leave the light on, go,,,,,,and relax. In the future you should get a timer. We have timers on the light and the auto door, and it really gives peace of mind,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,now if I can just get them to stay in the run,,,,,,
 
I also have to leave the house tomorrow for an extended time for a holiday get together and my chicken run is not yet perfected. It is ok for them overnight, but not for the whole day. They would go berserk.
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The girls usually put themselves to bed before 4 PM. I have signs in my yard of larger animals passing though. I think I have found raccoon scat.
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I may have to excuse myself early and go home.
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A persons gotta do what a persons gotta do.
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Depends on what predators you have. Our raccoon is the biggest problem but doesn't start wandering about until many hours after dark so it's no problem for me to leave the coop open for a few extra hours. There was something killing the quail in their pen in the coop right around dusk so I closed the door early for awhile until it moved on. Occasionally if I see the great horned owl checking things out in the evenings I leave them locked up until it gives up. It all depends what's about as to how safer they will be as it gets dark.
 
Okay, this is what I'm going to do. I am going to leave the big light on in the coop, and let them out. I should be home around 7'ish, so they will only have the pop door open around an hour an a half before I get home to close the little door. They go to bed around 4:45, so they should all be in the coop and with the light on, they should be able to see if anything tries to get in the coop. I have not yet had anything try to climb the 6 foot fence, (Please don't let tomorrow be the first time), so I'm going to go, have fun and try not to worry.
 
I know how you feel about leaving the farm. I have worried and annoyed my husband to know end, and everything was fine. WE have a pretty good system for how much feed and hay to put out for everyone - 7 goats, 3 horses, 3 dogs, 15 chickens, 1 very smart hampshire pig and 2 calves. We can now stay overnight and everyone is fine when we get home.

They will be ok- however, it is SO nice to have such a good excuse to leave when you have had enought of the togetherness!
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You could leave a radio on in the coop. It might help to keep away any predators.
I'm not sure if it would work every night but it might do the job once in a while.
 
Quote:
My birds have a night light, but I also have an electric fence around their yard and coop. I have also left a radio playing.
 
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oddly, when I have a light shining, our raccoon stops coming around. But if there is no light...he is on our roof nightly. Granted the chickens are a bigger incentive, but perhaps they do not like wandering near a lit area. Also, I agree with a previous post, that I've never seen our raccoon early in the evening. It's always been late at night, wee hours of the morn. That being said ..... if it were my chickens, they would be locked in a run all day for Thanksgiving ... one day may frustrate them, but they will survive being pent up better than they would a raccoon attack
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um, am I too wishy washy?
 
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