Outside for the night....

[hjvac25]

Ok, we have 6 hens who are going outside permanently on Tuesday. They have been out during the day and now they come to the box I carry them in at night. What do I do when they stay out for good...any special suggestions? Also do you put anything in the coop where they are locked up at night (food or water?)....we just have straw and nesting boxes.

Thanks

 

[M.sue]

The only important thing at night is just make sure they are locked the tight so no predators can get in. You really don't need any food or water because once they go in for the night they roost & sleep. Some do for own peace of mind but it not necessary. Like I said they roost & sleep.

 

[Fierlin1182]

Yeah, you don't need to have food and water in there once they're older, we make feeding times very regular and they seem to prefer it that way. In any case, if we leave food in the coop pigeons will fly in.

Also make sure that they don't start sleeping in the nesting boxes, as that can get pretty messy and it's not a good habit to get into. They should stay on the roosts.

 

[GerbilsOnToast]

It's true that hens don't do midnight snacks, but I fill all feeders & water dispensers when I lock them up because I know they'll be up at dawn - and I won't. I want to make sure they have access to food & water at any time they're awake.

Incidentally, I discovered last year that roosters WILL eat in the dark; I raised some (BO & Leghorn, separately) roosters and when I filled their dispensers at night, they stayed up - in the dark - eating and squabbling until the dispenser was emptied. (a half-full feeder didn't attract them; only them seeing me fill it!) The ruckus and late noise really impacted egg production in the hen-partment next door, so they didn't get refilled until morning.

If your nest boxes don't have a way to close them at night, you may have to train the hens to use the roost - it may take a week or more of moving them to the roost before they 'get it', but they will... eventually.