When do chickens "put themselves to bed"?

[happymom99]

I have heard that chickens typically put themselves into their coop to roost each night. When do they do this? Is it usually before dark or after dark?

Thank you,
CJ

 

[Domestic_goddess]

Mine start roosting at dusk, or just as the sun starts to go down.

 

[mariel37]

Although I have only had chickens for a couple months, I used to have large birds - mullucans, amazons, etc.

Birds go to bed when the sun goes down and wake when it comes up.

This is why, with people who have birds in their house, if that bird's cage is in a high traffic area or a living room or somewhere where the family stays up after dark, those birds usually eventually get nervous and start plucking their feathers out. They're sleep deprived and stressed out!

Put the bird to bed, for cryin' out loud!

 

[theoldchick]

Joe Dirt and his two ladies go to bed about an hour before sunset.

Occasionally the girls argue with him.

And push him off.

 

[woodmort]

Mine will go into the coop at sundown unless it is a rainy, dark day--and we've had a lot of those this spring--in which case they will go in earlier. However, they won't hit the roost until it gets dark.