Scottish chickens

[Amelia94]

We live in the Highlands and our daytime nighttime shifts from season to season. Now it's getting lighter i end up waking up earlier and earlier.

What does everyone else do? Because in the hight of summer it gets light at 4.30- 5am and doesn't get dark till midnight.

 

[BDutch]

We live in the Highlands and our daytime nighttime shifts from season to season. Now it's getting lighter i end up waking up earlier and earlier.

What does everyone else do? Because in the hight of summer it gets light at 4.30- 5am and doesn't get dark till midnight.

Where I live in the Netherlands its shifting too, just a bit less. I have a pop door that works with a light sensor . That way the chickens sleep safe and can go into the run around sunrise. It locks again before dark, about 40 minutes after sunset.

@kattabelly

 

[kattabelly]

Sorry, I'm not quite sure what you're asking.

I'm in Orkney. In my experience, chickens will use every bit of dusk they possibly can in the middle of winter. In summer they'll set their own timetable and get up after sunrise, and go off to roost hours before sunset.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't have nearly the extremes you do but I built my coop big enough that they can spend some time in there without issues. That way they can wait until I'm ready to let them out in the morning, even if it is after my breakfast. At night maybe automatic doors (which I don't like) or see what they do and go accordingly. You might be able to train them to go into the coop by feeding treats in the coop at bedtime to lure them in?

 

[Amelia94]

I don't have nearly the extremes you do but I built my coop big enough that they can spend some time in there without issues. That way they can wait until I'm ready to let them out in the morning, even if it is after my breakfast. At night maybe automatic doors (which I don't like) or see what they do and go accordingly. You might be able to train them to go into the coop by feeding treats in the coop at bedtime to lure them in?

We want to avoid automatic doors but above said about a light sensory door which might be better. As I said sunrise here can be 5am in summer and I'd rather then have free reign. The coop is big enough to roost and rest enough for 4 chickens (we have 4) also designed to keep them warm in winter huddling up even though we give them a hot water bottle too!

 

[kattabelly]

YMMV but I've never seen a chicken awake and outside before 5am here. It never gets darker than (nautical) twilight around the solstice and sunrise can be as early as 3:59 that time of year. They'll eventually wander out a few hours later.

 

[McChooky]

Automatic doors may have to be adjusted seasonally to prevent them going outside too early but they're easy to use.They're also popular.
If you're attached to your chickens you might want to prevent them wandering out too early