When do chickens "put themselves to bed"?

[Meara]

I've always wondered about getting one of those doors that's set on a timer. I'd love to hear from anyone who has one if they are pleased with it or not?

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

All of mine go to bed before dark.

Most of them go to bed before sunset.

Lots of them go to bed by 4 in the afternoon even when the sun surprises us and comes out.

My chickens are lazy, depressed, vitamin D deprived, SAD (seasonal affective disorder) chickens -- typical of all the other Western Washington animals that don't live on the islands in the sun, with the most daylight hours. (For those of you who know my poodle, some of these chickens are poodles in disguise.)

I should probably see the vet to discuss whether or not my birds should be on Prozac and vitamin D enriched milk or yogurt.

 

[3chimama]

My girls go in just before dark...

 

[NBarnes]

We're in the top of the Snoqualmie valley and we get valleyset a bit less than an hour before true sunset. The girls usually stop ranging so much around the start of valleyset, getting closer to the coop in their foraging, until they put themselves away. If they aren't out, they'll usually start bickering over roosting perches just about the time I notice it's getting dimmer. They're pretty consistent about responding to solar cues, even given the relatively large variance in day length this far north (yes, the Canadians here can mock me, but compared to California it's a lot).

 

[b&b's barnyard]

My chickens and ducks seem to go in about dusk to there appointed pens and coops but my 2 African geese lay gaurd at the door until I show up then they go to there pen. But there are times when I need them in bed earlier. A good number of my animals are rescued animals and know what a fish net is so I have one hanging in the barn when I need them to go to bed early now I grab the net and tap it on the ground they have learned this means coop or pen time so away they go since I've started this I've only had to use it once and that was my silky rooster who didn't think he had to behave and follow the group. A friend of mine uses a walkin stick and she does the same thing taps it on the ground and in go her kids. So like any animal they can be trained. When they do have to go in early around here they alway get special treats and they now that because they will make all kinds of noise till they get it....mixture of cracked corn,rolled oats,bread crumbs,sunflower seeds and a few chopped peanuts mixed together with some Karo syrup or molasses just enough to make sticky