[danfinn1]

I read on here or in John's book that chickens sleep very soundly at night so do not disturb easlily.

Not true with my 2 dotties, Black Rock and Speckledy. On one night before Christmas I sneaked up and opened the back of their eglu coop, expecting two see 2 hen tea cosies , and instead saw two hens stood up looking at me and my torch , Pecky then squawked, as if to say "What do you want"

Yesterday we were out most of the day celebrating New Year and didn't ge back till 11pm. I went to check on my birds at that time and found the dotties had eaten all their pelletts , Hen was ok, she still had some. So I dashed back to the house and brought out some more pellets. Whilst I was refilling the two feeders both Pecky and Babs came out to feed by torchlight . I let them have light for a couple of minutes, then went back in the house. Good job we got a walk in run .

This morning checked and swapped their water and was rewarded with an egg from Babs I think .

I don't usually forget to top up their feeders like this, only using small ones to save them throwing it everywhere .

Do hope we can still let them free range on the 5th

 

[ghost61]

Mine are always awake when I creep up on them too.  They hear me coming I'm sure and opening the hen house always makes enough noise too.  Urban light doesn't help either! 

[Beekissed]

Nope, hens do not sleep so soundly at night that they cannot be disturbed by the slightest sound or light...don't know who's passing that off as fact but it's just not so.  I've never caught a bird actually sleeping on the roost or brood nest, no matter how quietly I approach or how little light I use to do so. 

[8doubles]

I had night vision tv in the coop , they are light sleepers  have a scratch and a preen and move a bit but nothing too exciting .

If you are not a light sleeper in the wild you are chicken dinner for a noctunal predator.