Roosting early

[Mercyr79]

Hi. My hens have been roosting really early lately. Is that normal? At first it was around 4pm and today they were roosting by 2pm. Everything seems normal with them besides a couple of them molting…. Thank you

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Wow, 2 pm is early. Is it cold where you are? How dark is the coop? Was it windy today? Are you sure they were roosting for the night and not just hanging out away from the cold? It's common for chickens to roost early, especially during this time of year, just not really that early. If their coop is dark, that'll cause them to roost early. On the selfish, yet patient hens, they'll roost early just to get the best perch.

 

[Mercyr79]

Wow, 2 pm is early. Is it cold where you are? How dark is the coop? Was it windy today? Are you sure they were roosting for the night and not just hanging out away from the cold? It's common for chickens to roost early, especially during this time of year, just not really that early. If their coop is dark, that'll cause them to roost early. On the selfish, yet patient hens, they'll roost early just to get the best perch.

Thanks! It’s mid 60’s, not windy and the coop does have some natural coming in. We realized that there was a main coon cat prowling around today. Maybe they got scared They’ve been doing this a lot lately so I figured I would ask.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Thanks! It’s mid 60’s, not windy and the coop does have some natural coming in. We realized that there was a main coon cat prowling around today. Maybe they got scared They’ve been doing this a lot lately so I figured I would ask.

Possibly. They might be hiding away, or just wanting to hang out on the coop's perches instead of their outside ones.