My Girls and Bed Time

[Ladysonja]

I'm hoping some one can settle a concern I have about my girls and going into the coop at night.

My 6 girls have been in their new coop and run for 3 nights (counting tonight). Each night when I go to check on them before I go to bed, I find them all huddled on the poop plank just outside the poop hole. So far, I have had to pick each one up and put them on the roost before I close them up for the night.

From what I read, Chickens are night blind.

I'm thinking they get on the poop plank right before it gets dark and are afraid to go into the coop and roost because they cannot see to get to the roost.

DH husband is in the process of running electricity to the coop and we should have power by the end of the weekend.

Do I need run a night light out to the coop until I can get the timer/lighting system installed to insure the girls can see to get to their roost at night fall?

I don't mind putting my girls to bed, I'm just concerned they are afraid of the dark or am I being silly?

 

[Mahonri]

I don't know how big your coop is, but I wouldn't let them out for a few days. Make them put themselves to bed in the coop and once they've done it themselves, they'll go in earlier.

Is it total darkness in there? I have a couple of windows with screens and a sky light so that might make the difference for me.

 

[cherrychicken]

i do that too. i dont think they're afraid of the dark. i think they just fall asleep there and dont wake up.

 

[Ladysonja]

Alright, I was being silly newbie about my girls and bed time.

Here is an update for anyone interested -

Today is day 5 of putting my girls to bed at dusk...

On day 4, DH was able to run the electricity to the coop. When I went out to the coop and turned on the light... They were in the same spot as they were on night 3, all huddle up on the poop plank just outside the poop door.

When I turned on the light, they all looked inside like they were stepping of the space shuttle on a strange planet. Silly girls!

I was finally able to get them all in the coop, shut the large walk through door and watched them through the poop door. After a while, I shut the light off and went back inside.

Tonight, I went out just about dusk. Turned the light on and stepped back and watched if they would go in on their own. Sure enough... they did!

It was like monkey-see, monkey-do! One by one, they all waddled up poop plank and into the coop. I watched them again from the poop door and they were busy getting settled in for the night and even eye balling the low roost.

With my mind at ease, I turned off the light and went back into the house.

My mum always said, patience is a virture...I just have to be reminded every now and then -

 

[pixiechic]

Sorry, I'm a bit of a newbie too -- what exactly is a poop plank, poop door, and poop hole? Sounds like a lot of poop!

 

[Ladysonja]

Quote:
I'm a newbie too... Heck, I have no idea if I'm calling the parts of the chicken house the right names myself - I think I'm calling it the right names...

Poop Plank - Ramp to the little chicken door
Poop Door/hole - The small door the chickens come in and out of

It took me a while to figure everythig out... but I hope someone will correct me if I'm calling the parts by the wrong names... Maybe that's why I'm not getting any answers.

 

[Hen Daddy]

I wondered about that. I think you mean the pop door/plank/hole. Pretty sure thats the correct word.

 

[Ladysonja]

Thanks for the correction..

Learning the laugnage of this chick thing has been a bit of a challenge.