What time do your chickens go to bed? (How dark?)

[Khonliangkai]

We're new to raising chickens but it seems like most roost around dusk. Ours are in the coop two or three hours before dusk. Would a predator wandering by cause them to go to roost early? We did see a racoon in the yard next door about that time a week ago. I feel pretty ok with the run and coop being safe (hardware cloth all around) but we don't want something stressing out the chickens. We were having to shoo them off the chicken coop porch, into the coop after dark. We had used the "lock them in the coop for a few days to show them where home is", but with not much success until this week and the early bed time.

Our yard doesn't afford us a view of the coop from the house, and there is quit a bit of cover for a raccoon to use as it crosses the yard.

Also the "picked on" chicken flys up to a cross beam of the coop roof. She didn't do that last week, but she is getting pecked by the other two, and is just now perfecting her flying, so...

We're interested in hearing others thoughts on this.

Thanks

 

[funny farmer]

For us, it depends on the time of year. In the winter when it's dark early, we usually close up the coop around 5 or 6. But in the summer months we will often hold off till 9:00 or so. When it's nice out, they tend to stay up later.

 

[centrarchid]

Varies greatly. Hens with chicks, small chicks in particular settle in a good hour before dark. Balance of birds vary going to roost as a function of feeding activity. Free-range birds having trouble getting crop fill go to roost later than those getting ample eats easily. More recently I event noticed a couple of cockerels that hang out until dark to hawk for June Beetles making so they go to roost a good half hour later than everyone else. Going to roost late can be risky as doing so gets into magic hour for crepuscular predators.

 

[birdlady79]

This is my first yr with chickens... Ours go to bed around 8:30... Mine hang out in back 40 all day, then around 7ish they make their way up to the coop... My BO, Daisy is always last to go in and first to come out.... Lol

 

[Khonliangkai]

Thank you all, maybe the full crop explains it. We let them out of the run for supervised free ranging, nervous about the neighborhood cats (you know lions and tigers and bears, oh my! )

After their yard time we put them back in the run, I'm guessing they then hit the feeder, and with a full crop feel sleepy. it seems early, but I fall asleep in front of the tv after dinner (with a full crop)

 

[Freddy rooster]

cool but what time like 6;00 or 7:00 do they uisally got o bed