Nocturnal chickens??? Advice Please!

[InLuvWLife]

Hi all- Over the last several weeks I have noticed a growing trend with my hens. They started "staying up late", scratching around in the yard way after dark. I thought perhaps they were responding to people noise- cars pulling into the dirve, voices etc ... or maybe ooutdoor lights. However, I can sometimes look out the window well after midnight and see them coming and going from coop to yard and back. This morning, I had to get up early while it was still dark. Much to my suprise 8 out of 11 girls were laying together on the ground, outside in the yard sleeping. WHAT GIVES? I reluctantly got dresssed and went out to check on them. No apparent issues. The 3 left in the coop were sleeping quietly. The others piled in when I opened the coop door. As soon as I left- out the door they went again. It is COLD here, probably in the 20s overnight. I feel they are very unsafe sleeping outside. I have electric poultry netting but no roof on the yard. An owl would have a feast if it found them sleeping on the ground, right??

My coop is roomy, has windows (which I have closed due to very cold weather), lots of roosting space, 4 nest boxes, food/water inside. Concrete floor with lots of dry litter. There are no roosts outside in the yard. Nothing to sleep on but the ground. Any thoughts?

 

[write2caroline]

Maybe they want more ventilation? I would lock them in at night. My girls go up the ladder and the ladder is secured until morning. For their protection we too have owls, fox, raccoon, opossom, random wondering neighborhood dogs.

Caroline

 

[dacdeihl]

I had this happen but in the summer and saddly I lost six from owls. Feathers everywhere for several mornings. Now ALL of them sleep inside.