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

[THough1956]

When they get sleepy!!!

 

[Drivegirl54]

We have to push ours in just before dark. They go in and out on their own during the day but do not want to go in at night.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

MIne all go in before dark and roost. They are all up before I get out there too (around 8 am) so I am not sure just when they get up. Daylight I imagine.

 

[cposz]

Ours head into the coop all by themselves about dusk. (And I get up before they do!)

 

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

Our boys turn on their nightlight at 7:30 pm, sundown is around 8 pm now, and DH goes out to lock them in at 8:30 pm. Only one time has he gone out to lock them up and they were still out in the run. We have no idea what they were doing out there! Anyway, they are usually all roosting and asleep within a half hour of sundown.

(And I get up before they do!)

We do too! My boys and I head out to the coop around 7 am and they all jump off the roost.​

 

[aank4]

It was very weird that they were still out; usually they have no problem being up on their roost by the time I go out to lock them in. I wonder if they were trying to figure out the noise of the closing motor or something.

Or maybe they just figured they would have a party, since I wasn't there to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to do!

Crazy party chickens.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Everyone except my buff orpingtons start to roost at 6:00 pm. They don't roost until 8

M. I have no idea why.

 

[jprice2ndlt]

All of mine are usually on the roost by 8:00 or so.

 

[susiestozz]

According to the books I've read, chicks have poor eyesight and as soon as the light falls they wander on in.

We leave the coop open in the evening and as soon as the sun starts to fall (and perhaps like others say, it gets chilly) our little chicky-chicks retire to bed then we pop out later and secure them in - it doesn't take them long to get used to bed-time

 

[bantamsrus]

Mine usually go to bed before sunset (~8pm here)--Unless we're out doing something in the yard--then they'll follow us around until after dark!!!

They have inside and outside roosts (in a pen) and will choose where to sleep based on the weather
mild, nice: they sleep outside
too cold, windy or rainy: then they sleep inside
silly birds