staying out past dusk! what gives?

[Sandrachx]

i have 25 ckns. tonight, at 7pm - nearly dark - 20 of them were outside the coop, wandering around the outside of the run. my dh and i had to go out and herd them in. it was like they were either disoriented or avoiding something. ckd the coop - nothing scary there. and 5 ckns were already on their roosting poles. any idea what gives?

 

[newchicksnducks]

Strange...mine did almost the same thing. I have them in the run during the day, let them outside for what I thought would be 1/2 an hour when I was off work at 6pm...they foraged around, then mingled in front of the coop at dusk. I have a light on inside the coop - I figure it was giving enough light through the open door that they just wanted to hang for a while...after all, they'd just been let out it seems. I hate these shorter days I guess they do too.

 

[nancysmith2]

It has to be the length of day thing. Mine suddenly realize whoops it's dark and head for home. The babies just cry and I have to carry them to the coop.

 

[acdoc]

mine always go in about 15 min before dark

 

[Sandrachx]

i had let them out at around 3pm, so it's not like they were deprived of forage time. i'm just glad i had some white ones; their color stood out when i looked toward the coop from the window on the deck! i probably wouldn't have been able to find the barred rocks without a flashlight . . .

 

[ChickenCat]

i guess they can tell time?

It has been rainy and cloudy all day, dusk came much earlier tonight and I still had 4 chickens out. It was very nearly dark before they went in and went out and shut the door. It was strange they stayed out so dark, not late, just darker than usual.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Unless they're in a mixed flock with older birds it's been my experience that younger birds tend to want to stay out later than is prudent. Older birds will hit the roost earlier. Occasionally a good rooster will shoo them in before the owls begin to fly.

I have a flock of Delawares and Jersey Giants that are doing this now. They were hatched in May and at least two or three of them will still be out when it's good dark. I have to shoo them in so I can close up for the night.

.....Alan.

 

[Sandrachx]

oooh - these are all teenagers. and the roosters are the worst of the bunch! they are going into the freezer next week, so i guess they are getting their last hurrahh in. my mature birds were in on the roost.

thanks for the insight!

 

[harrisville chicken]

Just wait until Daylight Savings ends, that really messes them up!