Why do they let me hold them at night and not the day?

[Cat Water]

Even the least tame of my chickens let me hold them at night but during the day, they run, squack, kick, anything to get away. Why is that?

 

[dawg53]

Instinct tells them it's time to go to sleep. Besides, they're tired....been working all day.

 

[teach1rusl]

You've always heard about throwing a blanket or towel over a bird's cage to shut it up??? It's the same way with chickens. They have poor night vision, and kind of shut down in the dark. They're quite helpless in the dark (another good reason folks need to secure their coops at night...they are helpless to predators), making it quite easy to pick them up. If you have a good flashlight, it's a great time to inspect wilder type chickens for parasites

 

[MissJenny]

Mine are like that too. I have one who is separated due to an injury -- the flightiest of the bunch. These guys are still in my kitchen, so at 9 p.m. it is not dark in here. During the day she HATES me. But in the evening she demands, insists requires to sit on my lap. I think it is a roosting instinct. Since she can't be with the flock to sleep, I become her "flock". She just snuggles right up like we're best friends. They are the goofiest birds!

Jenny