Everyone,
I'm new to chickens, with 16 chicks ages 9 to 12 weeks old. I am free ranging exclusively, without a run. We live on the border of 3,000 acre Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky so there are many predators. I have a good, sturdy, predator-proof (as proof as I can get it) coop that they sleep in at night. (Here is how I built the coop if interested. http://www.littlewolf.org/preserve/the-scoop-on-building-a-coop/) However, the coop is attached to the barn, about 1/4 mile from my house so it's not easy to protect by my being there. I have 2 dogs that go up to the coop/barn with me each time I go up but they don't stay there. They go where I go.
My question is... what is the recommended "time" to lock free range chickens in the coop in the evening? I realize that time varies with the amount of daylight remaining in the evening, as today was the day with the most sunlight (the summer solstice) vs. in the winter when there are far fewer hours of daylight each day. For where I live/am, the weather channel says that sundown was at 8:59 p.m. tonight, but we live in the shadow of a mountain so it "sets" about an hour earlier that was about 8:00 p.m. I've been going up to the barn/coop at between 6:30 and 7:30 each night. If I stay up at the barn/coop, I let them stay out until they put themselves to bed between 8 and 8:30. Otherwise, I put them in the coop as I mentioned, between 6:30 and 7:30.
I also realize that different areas have different numbers and types of predators so no answer/method will be fool proof. And what works for one person today, may not work tomorrow. But still, I'm just looking for ideas from others.
So, can others tell me when they put their chickens safely away for the night?
Much thanks,
Guppy
I'm new to chickens, with 16 chicks ages 9 to 12 weeks old. I am free ranging exclusively, without a run. We live on the border of 3,000 acre Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky so there are many predators. I have a good, sturdy, predator-proof (as proof as I can get it) coop that they sleep in at night. (Here is how I built the coop if interested. http://www.littlewolf.org/preserve/the-scoop-on-building-a-coop/) However, the coop is attached to the barn, about 1/4 mile from my house so it's not easy to protect by my being there. I have 2 dogs that go up to the coop/barn with me each time I go up but they don't stay there. They go where I go.
My question is... what is the recommended "time" to lock free range chickens in the coop in the evening? I realize that time varies with the amount of daylight remaining in the evening, as today was the day with the most sunlight (the summer solstice) vs. in the winter when there are far fewer hours of daylight each day. For where I live/am, the weather channel says that sundown was at 8:59 p.m. tonight, but we live in the shadow of a mountain so it "sets" about an hour earlier that was about 8:00 p.m. I've been going up to the barn/coop at between 6:30 and 7:30 each night. If I stay up at the barn/coop, I let them stay out until they put themselves to bed between 8 and 8:30. Otherwise, I put them in the coop as I mentioned, between 6:30 and 7:30.
I also realize that different areas have different numbers and types of predators so no answer/method will be fool proof. And what works for one person today, may not work tomorrow. But still, I'm just looking for ideas from others.
So, can others tell me when they put their chickens safely away for the night?
Much thanks,
Guppy
