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

[monathequeen]

My Mr. Peepers (ROO) will literally chase the girls in the coop when HE"S ready to go to bed. He wont go in until everyone of them are in. He's such a good boy! He takes good care of his Ladies........He can also be a Bully to the smallest hen. Anyway, The birds wont go in to roost until they are "good and ready." I will go outside WAY BEFORE dark to watch them go inside because I have seen Racoons heading toward the Run in broad daylight. fargen-bastages...If you want to get them in early,I always bring a treat out to them like a couple pieces of bread or a handfull of crackers. They cannot get in the coop fast enough.....it's funny and it works every time. Needless to say, They are unpredictable creatures.

 

[stormylady]

When I go out for the last time about twilight, all of them have assumed there positions on the roosting bars and just doing there little goodnight John boy thing they do everynight, and by full dark I can't here a peep so I guess there all asleep. Sandy

 

[aank4]

Turned out it was just my timer that was off, not the chickens!

I fixed it, and they all went from the run to the roost as expected tonight, well before the door came down. I expect I'll check it most nights just in case, especially if there is bad weather expected. (My run is meant to be predator proof, but I'd rather not test it!)

 

[SteveBaz]

First post

wow thats pretty high tech auto gates.

We are 3 weeks NEW at this. Reel fun we have had so far. 3 only in the city limit here no Roosters allowed.
funny I found the site looking for this thread to start putting them up 8ish what were doing. Today 2 of the older chicks were settled in tonight.

BAZ...

 

[JulieNKC]

Mine start hanging out close to the coop an hour or so before sunset. They don't actually go in and go to bed until dark though, after 9 lately.

 

[vclark321]

My girls have been hitting the ramp into the coop right at 8pm, give or take some minutes.

 

[MommyMagpie]

Ours go in just before it gets too dark. A couple of days ago we did some improvements to the coop - new nest box, a flap door that opens into the back of the next box so we can collect eggs without going into the coop (our coop is made from a shipping crate and is very cramped for a human) and an additional roost, plus a poop board - and we didn't finish until it was nearly DARK. The girls were milling around just outside the coop door mumbling and whining for about an hour before we finished, and when we went to get the bag of pine shavings they got in and went to roost, and stayed there while we put the bedding in. Funny chickens!

 

[Nicole01]

All 8 of mine are in by 8:45pm. I'm assuming it will get earlier as the days get shorter.

 

[Yanee]

My chicks are 6 weeks old and been in the coop for 3 nights tonight is the third night...their runs is covered and connected to the coop with a wooden plank leading up to the coop...the first two days I had to put them in the coop one by one and on the roosting bars first night three wander down to the runs and slept separately, second night they re all stayed on the roost and in the coop but, they won't come down in the morning no matters how hungry they were until they saw me at the door then they'll starts to walk down. tonight is not changing they won't go up by themselves nor go on the roost...I had to help them again...I'm hoping they'll come down on their own tomorrow because it was an ugly sight all ten chickens fighting over two water nipples which is ample on the normal circumstances taking turns drinking not when they're all thirsty from being in the coop all night. Should I put water & food in the roost area? I'm afraid they'll never come down. What did I do wrong?

 

[Yanee]

Well, the light tricks seems to working well I use a flash light left on at roost area and they're just marching up following the light except for one she's just chirping away loudly looking for the flock...until I had to put her through the door and the same chick will not attempt to get up to the bar continued to chirping away again until after the dark I' have to put her up on the bar...which she will stayed on and proceed to give the flock some peace...I don't understand why? Is there a possibility that she have bad eyesight? the one time that I'd put her on the top bar she try to fly up to the roof and crashed back down so she can fly and have a full wingspan...I don't know, I'm going to watch her for a few more nights and try another method...Good night!