[CatherineF]

Those people who have a coop with run attached, do you always put your chickens in to the coop at night and lock them in it til morning?

[Casey76]

Unless you are 100% sure your run is foxproof, then I would lock your chickens away every day.

If your run walls just rest on the ground (i.e. they are not dug into the ground by at least 12ins), then I would lock them away.

[CatherineF]

What time should I put them away? Does it matter if it changes each day or should I stick to the same times everyday?

[Casey76]

They will put themselves to bed at dusk (that is about 8:30pm here - probably a bit later where you are as you're farther north!)

Then you can lock them up then.

[CatherineF]

I think I've been putting mine to bed before dusk, cos I've been catching them to put them away!!

[JaK]

Most of mine go up on their own but I have a couple of stop outs that I have to put to bed (they wait for me by the gate  ), and I do shut the coop door until about 7am.

[rosie14]

Our run and coop are together and we never shut them up they do as they please :0) We copied this idea from a breeder we went to when we wanted a third hen. Two out of three of our hens laid all winter long despite heavy snow fall here in the South East. One of the hens then was a rescue barn hen we received in a terrible state btw! Only 1/3 of the run is covered with weather proof roofing, the roof is otherwise aviary netting and the 2 sides are good 6 foot solid wood fencing and the wall of our house - so well protected really :0)

[NormandyMary]

I think I've been putting mine to bed before dusk, cos I've been catching them to put them away!!

Just try and wait until its fairly dark, then pop down to lock up the house. Im sure all your girls will be in bed, just waiting for their story. I still get amazed that they take themselves to bed every night without being told. Clever little sausages!
(I wish my goats would do the same!!)

[Carolf]

My 2 ladies go to bed on their own when they have had enough of running around.  At the moment it is around 9pm when they go to roost.  

[Numptyone]

Dont forget to make sure they are on the Perches
we are still training ours but Joy told us that Wee and Poo contains acids harmful to birds skin
Paul

[JACDORE]

My 6 girls also put themselves to bed.  It ranges from 7.30 to 9.  First goes in 7.30 ish (thinks she wants the peace and quiet) and the last 2 as late as they can, so around 9.  Summer months its around 10 and winter it can be 8.  My 6 girls, 2 sit on the perch and the other 4 huddle up as close as poss in the nest box.  They were ex batts and only 1 likes the perch even though ive tried putting them on the perch they just get off and huddle.  As the house is cleaned every morning and fresh paper and straw is put down I dont worry too much over skin probs.  I always check their fine and they are. 

[Raven81]

Following advice I was given on here (I had previously chased the hens round trying to catch them and put them in the coop ) I now let them go in on their own, they usually go in around 9.  I let them out around 8 in the morning and they seem to have got used to this and don't squawk any earlier!!
We have had red mite recently so for a couple of nights 2 of them wouldn't go in the coop and OH took them in and put them on the perches, now the redmite have gone and they go in happily again!

[Lindeggs]

Do a google search for sunrise and sunset times for your area.  I did this when I first got my pullets, then printed the chart and hung it on the wall by the back door.  I can verify that my pullets put themselves to bed within 10 minutes either side of the official sunset time for my area.   (A little earlier in poor weather, a little later if the sky is clear and the air is warm.)  Clever girls.

Having the chart isn't essential, it just helps you to understand your hens better and saves you fretting when you see they are still out.  The one time they were still out when (according to the chart) they should have been in bed, I went to check on them and found a cat in their run!  :blink: No wonder they didn't want to go in!

[Dominic]

Mine put themselves to bed, but I lock them away, except for a couple of days in the week or so either side of longest day, when they were still charging around long after my bedtime.

My run is, fox resistant, rather than proof

[jesschocolate28]

I think that if you are sure that the run is foxproof,then theres generally no need to put them in at night. Mine go in by themselves,and as we have put chicken wire about half a metre under the run the they are fine,althought in the winter we do shut them in at night because otherwise they could get very cold. Hope this helps