When do yours go in the coop at night?

[gritsar]

Mine used to go in at 8 PM, on the dot. Now with the days getting shorter it's closer to 7, 7:15 at the latest.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Some of ours go to the top of the hen house, some on top of the pen and some inside roost on tree branches inside the run, I don't close the door, but did awaken the other night when my dog was barking at a raccoon and it was hissing at him like a cat I ran him off and he hasn't been back, now I know way my dog is always marking around the chicken coop.

 

[jacyjones]

I am not sure about the light idea - I think that might confuse the issue. Chickens seem to have an instinct based on the lack of natural light and they begin to come in from free range in time to get into a safe place in plenty of time before full darkness. I would be inclined to let that happen naturally without intervening - but that is up to you!

 

[annaserv]

My older girls go in early, it's still light out. The younger ones take forever to go inside, it's actually sort of dark when they finally go inside.

When I left the light on in the coup it just takes them longer to call it a day, meandering in and out of the coup.

 

[jmeeter88]

Quote:
My problem though is that they go in the coop when it is too dark to see the roost, so they end up huddling together on the floor where the light from outside comes in. =\\

 

[HennysMom]

Mine start heading in around 7:00 or so now - during the summer it was around 9:00 - they do so on their own and we close the pop door now that its soooo cold outside for them. brrr

In the morning - now thats another story! Those little brats are outside before the sun is up sometimes (when we kept the door open) - 4:30 we'd hear one of them "honking" - thought we had geese in our yard!

Was just Allyssa honking away... geez. Now that we lock them in for warmth, they come out around 6:00 a.m. and are raring to go!


JMEETER:
have you always kept a light on for them? Maybe thats why they cant see the roost... they're used to having a light. ??

 

[Portia]

For the exception of the broodies with chicks, my rooster is ALWAYS the first one to roost. After a few of the girls show up he goes outside onto the roost next to the ramp and crows a bit until a few more make their way in. Some of them go directly to roost, others grab a last minute snack from the feeder in the coop. Before going to roost they all make at least 1 loop around the yard (they range on a fenced acre) to fill their crops, then make their way down to the coop. By dusk, all but the most dominant hen is in the coop and either feeding or preening. The final hen slips in just before the door closes at almost last light. I've never had to put any of them in, they all end up there before nightfall; but then again they know the coop as 'home'.
If yours don't go in on their own consistently at night they're gonna need a little training; just a bit, they get it pretty darn quick.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

Well ours are indoor chickens so they go on the front porch and line up on the porch swing. Should get a pic of that to. Its very cute.

 

[conny63malies]

I only have one chicken right now and she heads to her box a little before 7pm. I dont lock her box ,she is free to get in and out . I have seen her out with the ducks as late as midnight having a late night snack.

 

[Farmer Brown]

Ours go in to their coop around dusk and if the door to get in is closed they get really agitated and start walking laps. We had a hen get quite upset the other day when she needed to lay and could not get into the coop. DW opened the egg door and she (the chicken) jumped into the nest! Kinda like a kid who really has to pee i guess?