Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: gracie on May 02, 2011, 18:52
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Last night was the first night, and they were more than ready to go to bed at about 8pm. Is that a good time, what time are you putting yours to bed?
I am hoping that when they understand that the coop is the place to go when you are sleepy they will take themselves off but I think its a bit early for that.
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If they don't automaticaly go in the coop, they will start to gather in one space (for warmth) as dusk draws in.
There's really no point in trying to get them to go to bed any earlier, because you'll just end up with stressed chicks bombing around evrywhere while you try to catch them ;)
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Thank you I will keep popping out and checking on them. I am more worried about putting them to bed too late really, I dont want them to be too miserable, there again I dont want to put them to bed too early as they will get bored and wont have any food or water.
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Hi Gracie, as a guide try googling sunset times for your area.
8:22pm Monday (BST) - Sunset in Suffolk, United Kingdom
If your chickens are anything like mine, they will go to bed within 10 minutes of the 'official' sunset time. Even if they're not that exact at least it will give you a guide.
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We put them to bed at 8.30, it was lovely as they were really docile and loved a last cuddle. Checked them again an hour later and they are roosting perfectly. Pity that today I have more or less found out I will only have one left soon as most are boys. Will keep those sunset times link though as it's interesting
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With the 5 week old chicks we just got from Min200, I went out t 7pm and they were cheeping very loudly in their little pen, so I put them to bed in case they were cold. All the others put themselves to bed generally.
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My girls put themselves to bed ( currently at about 8.20 ) then all I have to do is shut them in :)
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My three chooks usually put themselves to bed just after dark, having their last drink and munch before we lock them up for the night, but the first couple of nights (back then we had four but one was too tall for our run :) ) the chickens would huddle together under their ladder :) :) Hope it helped.
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I've just looked out the window and the clever poots have gone to bed :D while Tinker and Tallulah (obviously being led astray by Tinker) are still pottering round the garden >:(
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Thanks everyone, they were all waiting at the door I enter in the run for me at 8.30 last night. So far they are so good and stay on the roost bar until I go back to them at 7 am. Pity my 5 boys will be going soon. Esmerelda will have to tell the new ones what to do x
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We gather our hens up about an hour before sunset and put them in their secure run that is connected to the hen house. They know that they get a treat when we gather them up, so there's never a fuss. They then put themselves into the coop - when it's quite dark, usually. We close them in securely then. And that's it for the night.
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Same here. We make sure the chickens are safely in the run about an hour before sunset, esp as we have a local fox who passes by just before it gets dark. the chickens are usualy safely upstairs in bed when the fox comes by and arethe only time they are very quiet!
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Our chickens put themselves to bed about 7.30pm ish, about beginning of dusk. We just go down and lock the enclosure and they are all roosted in the shed.
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Mine put themselves to bed, usually about 8.30pm now and I go out at 8.45 and shut them in :).
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On day 6 they have put themselves to bed, bless. The bottom of our coop is rungs over a pull out tray to assist with cleaning and they have all huddled together tonight on one of these rungs. Previously I have put them on a higher perch and they have stayed there all night. If they ate happy on a lower rung should I just leave them or move them up. The nest boxes are blocked off at the moment
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As long as they are roosting, they will be fine. I feel sorry for my girls tonight cos the neighbours are having a very loud party but they will probably sleep better than us :(
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They could be bopping in the coop :D
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dont mind the time all for chicken, when it feels sleepy it will so not to worry about that.