When do yours go in the coop at night?

[Mahonri]

I have a light on in the coop from 6AM to 8PM.

When it gets dark at 5:30 they stay out until that sliver of light (chicken door to the coop) beckons them.

Those that want the primo roosting spot, always go in early. Those low in the pecking order are the last up.... but sometimes they get treats that the others miss out on.

 

[hinky toes]

My chickens are chicken of the dark. As soon as the sun even gets close to the horizon, they bee-line straight for the coop.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Hahaha same with mine. There is always a huge ruckus at night as they fight for the prime spots in the coop. You can always tell the ones who lost out because they come out in the morning covered in chicken droppings on their backs. Poor things, lol.

With the time change, they have all been in the coop by 5:30. Egg production hasn't dropped off though so I'm pretty happy.

 

[Portia]

interesting. my 2 top chickens, both hens are the very last ones in the coop at night....always. Being at the top of the pecking order, the obviously have no problem vying for the premo roosting spots in the coop. Mine, btw are finally starting to get used to the shortening days and tonight all of them were in before the auto door closed...finally!

 

[cmom]

I have a low watt Red light in my coop. The chickens all go in before it gets dark. Originally when they were smaller they didn't want to go in very well. Before it got dark I would put some of their favorite treats in the coop. They would all go in for the treats and then I would close the pop door. I don't treat them anymore at night and they go in every night before dark. Now I even leave the pop door open.

 

[basicliving]

Quote:
I get the impression your chickens are fairly young? If so, it's not unusual that they sleep on the floor, huddled together. Mine went out of the brooder to the coop at 2 weeks old. They would play on the roosts, but didn't slept on them for several weeks - and it started gradually with one or two roosting at night and then eventually all of them.

I kept them in the coop for 2 weeks, and then allowed them into a fenced in yard for a couple of weeks before allowing to free range the first time. By then they knew where "home" was and I never had much trouble with them getting to bed at dark. One or two stragglers at first - but the majority would just go right on in around dark.

Now most go in pretty early to get the primo roosting spots - and then the night owls that go in last scream and fuss for quite a while because their choice spots are taken

 

[newchickmom]

Mine go in right before dark however, I usually have 2 or 3 hanging out in the run until it is actually dark. Then I close them up for the night.

 

[cajunlizz]

I never have to worry about " closing them up " for the night . Their lil door remains open 24/7 . They enter their coops before dark and exist back into their runs about 5:00 AM when the roosters start to crow.

As Many chickens as my grand father and parents raised if they had to worry as much about what to do and not do with chickens as the folks today do , they would of all went nuts .

And trust me , I was raised on THAT FARM and we had nothing missing in the way of livestock and they were all well taken care of and they were all healthy.