Odd rooster behavior

[MrCluckers]

Ok my GF and I are relatively new to raising chickens. We got our order of 25 from Myers on March 5th. We were able to specify that we wanted 18 pullets and 7 cockerals. We ordered 7 so that we could have a better selection of which 1 or 2 we wanted to keep. Today is August 15th and we we still have 22 (we processed 3 cockerals so far). Of course a lot of that has to do with the Fort Knox coop I built. Anyhow, our neighbor has one of those big lights on his garage that lights up the entire area, and we have at least 1 or 2 of our cockerals who are crowing throughout the entire night. Makes it rather tough to sleep. I have noticed that the chickens are out in their run at odd hours of the night. Is it safe to assume that they may think his light (which is REALLY bright) might be daylight? And is there anyway to adjust their behavior without talking to my neighbor to turn his light off? We still have several more cockerals to process today or tomorrow so we get down to 1 or 2, my GF is threatening to process them all unless we can change this behavior somehow.

 

[JodyJo]

can you place some dark curtains on your windows? Out of reach of the chickens? It could be the light...is it effecting egg laying? Are they laying yet?
The light would be my guess, maybe someone else can help you out more...

 

[Cuban Longtails]

The chickens think the sun is still up, most likely. Unfortunately, its not very healthy for them. They actually need periods of darkness to function normally.

 

[MrCluckers]

Yes they are laying, we have LF light brahmas and are getting 2 to 3 a day currently. The problem with the curtains is that they have full access to the run. I have a 10x16 coop attached to a 1200 square foot run. The run has 8 ft high 1/2 x1/2 welded wire fence. I should attach pictures, might make deciphering the problem a bit easier.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Can you lock them in the coop and blackout the windows?
I know when it is full moon and bright outside, I have to close the drapes in the living room or the dogs pace and whine all night to go outside.

FUNNY STORY: My sister had a rooster for a while. The old guy next door asked her to do something about it because it was disturbing him. She had chicken soup - no problem. But it turns out, every night about 1 am, he would get up and go to the bathroom. The coop was located on my sisters property, but not far from his bathroom window. He would turn on the bathroom light, and the rooster would crow and scare the crap out of him. He was then unable to go back to sleep.
My sister suggested that next time she gets a rooster, she will buy him a red light bulb for his bathroom, then he wouldn't be waking up her rooster every night.

 

[MrCluckers]

Here is a picture from the general direction the light comes from.

 

[TinyChickenLady]

That's a tough call.... The next best idea besides speaking to your neighbor is locking them in the coop at night and putting curtains over the windows...

 

[This_chicks_place]

Hi, My suggestion would be to cover the windows with some sort of awning that you could prop open in the day and drop down over the windows at night. Also, close up the pop doors at dusk and you're chickies (and roos) will sleep through the night! Good Luck!

 

[sourland]

Quote:
X 2 Got say that's a beautiful coop. Well done!!!