what time is bed time?

[mom wewantchicks!]

ok i know, stupid ? but these are my first baby chicks!! this is thier 3rd night in the "big girl" coop,last night i went out and cut them up for the night. well i just dont know what time is the time for them to go to bed. i dont want to be thinking omg, are they ever going to get this? and really its me going out to put them to bed to early!!!! of course i also dont want to be falling around in the dark trying to chase chickens!!!!

 

[Linda in San Diego]

I put my Delightful Dozen out into the run/coop at 4 weeks of age. Each night, until 3 nights ago, we had to scoop and place or gently chase the girls in. I did not wait for full dark, I looked up what time sunset was and around that time I started heading them to bed. At first, it was two person job, then one person and then.....3 nights ago they all put themselves to bed slightly after sunset and all I have to do is shut the pop door. So they are putting themselves to bed while it is still light but at sunset.

Be patient and teach them what to do and I am sure it will work out for you too.

 

[Chirpy]

Chickens will almost always put themselves to bed right about sunset. Mine go into their coop about 15 minutes before total sunset every night. They are not ready to go in 16 minutes before!

If you can wait and let them put themselves to bed I'm guessing they will do it around sunset. Sometimes chicks may need some encouragement for a night or two but they'll get it.

 

[coltsrox]

does anybody know how many times a rooster will crow?sometimes he crows at 6:45 then today randomly at 11:30am, why? my 10 week old babies put themselves to bed at 7:45pm...

 

[Chirpy]

Some roosters start crowing sometime in the middle of the night and some wait until the first break of daylight. Some crow all day long, every ten minutes or so and some only crow a dozen times a day. It's a personal thing with each Roo. Ours never crowed as much as we would have liked to hear him. Some people are ready to strangle theirs because he won't quit crowing!

 

[mom wewantchicks!]

ok so when is sunset lol?? just when it is still light,but the sun is going down? where do i look it up? i also think that thier ladder may be to steep. right now there are only 3 in the coop,two are easy i call them give them a treat and put them to bed, the other one well know that i think of it, they sort of remind me of my kids!!! 2 go right to bed, and the other has to fight it all the way!

 

[pattee]

What you went in and cut them up for the night!!!! Sorry I couldn't help it~

 

[Linda in San Diego]

Mine are going in about 10 minutes after the time listed as sundown when I go look on weatherbug.

 

[Linda in San Diego]

To get sunset times either look on the weather page of your newspaper or I go to www.weatherbug.com and then click "more observations" and it gives the time of sunset for your section of the world.

 

[jdr250]

Mine will put themselves to bed right at dusk if their heat lamp is on. Last night I got distracted doing stuff and didn't go on to turn on the light until after dark and they were all huddled in the corner of the run. So I popped on the light gave my chick chick chick call and nothing. Now you have to remember I am the treat queen so usually when I call they all come running. So I though well maybe they didn't hear me, so I bend down and call out the chicken door chick chick chick I got 3 brave ones. So I try again, 2 more now I still have seven out there it's dark so I really don't want to have to open up the pen top and crawl around on my hands and knees to get them in there. So I became the usher on my hands and knees halfway out the chicken door I'm using a flashlight l was bringing them in I focused the light beam right in front of them and started calling they would only walk as far as the light beam then stop and I had to move the beam till they were right at the door. So after all my scaredy chickens are in I stand up, lock up the door and turn around knowing I need a shower because I've got chicken poop on my hands and knees. They all lift their heads from the food to look at me like see was that that so hard

Needless to say tonight I will be down there on time.