[bashful_badger]

Hi,

Just wondered if anyone could let me know roughly what sort of time you need to let chickens out?

We have pretty much decided on getting a wooden house with run after everyones helpful advice on my last post!  I saw a leaking cube on youtube too and it freaked me out rather a lot, although its probably very rare that happens it'd be just my luck to get a dodgy one :o)

Anyway, a lot of the wooden ones seem to come with the option of a vsb and so I'm not really sure if they are a worthwhile thing or just a bit of a gimmick?  They seem to be very expensive really so I was wondering what sort of time everyone else lets their chickens out in the morning?  We'd have an attached run to our house.  Evenings for putting them away, as I understand it is when it starts to get dark?

Many thanks!

[Aunt Sally]

I saw a leaking cube on youtube too and it freaked me out rather a lot, although its probably very rare that happens it'd be just my luck to get a dodgy one :o)

That was a design fault with the first ones produced.  Omlet rectified that for those cubes and redesigned the problem out very quickly.

[happychickens]

VSB pophole? what is that?

[craig1981]

i let my girls out at 6 am monday to saturday and about 7.30 on a sunday so i can have a lay in . they get locked away at 9pm yet by this time they have made there own way to bed . Not sure if my timings are pretty standard but thats what suits us 

[Foxy]

VSB pophole? what is that?

a VSB pophole is an automatic door opener, they work on the amount of light or an option is to buy a timer to go with them.

[steaders]

We got our four chooks (Hybrids) on Sunday. I let them out at 6:00ish, I can see them out the little window in the door with that "what time do you call this" expression and and rush out the door as soon as its open to ckeck out what to eat. The 2 brown ones  Gladys and Margo take themselves of to bed at around 9:00 (obviously well brought up young ladies), the 2 grey speckledy ones, Maud and Matilda sit looking out of the run like 2 girls waiting for a taxi to go clubbing. I can see I'm going to have trouble with these 2.

[joyfull]

I'm usually up around 5 so let mine out then - have bough an automatic door but not got around to fitting it yet 

[Roughlee Handled]

I set mine to-
06.30-17:00 Winter (06:30 so I can see they are out in the winter before I leave for work)
Gradual move every month to
06.00 -22:00 Summer.


Edit: Spelling 

[dizzylizzie]

i put mine away at 8.30 last night and they went MAD! they were most put out that they went to bed while it was still light....they havent taken long to get used to being out their cages .....or telling me what they want! lol

[oddpaws]

I get mine up at 6ish in the summer or when it gets light in the winter and they put themselves to bed at dusk. I just check they are all tucked up and shut them in, So about 9.30ish this time of year.

[Bruced]

Mine are let out of the coop around 6-6.30 in summer, will be when they wake up in winter. They put themselves to bed around 7.30-8.00 at teh moment - possibly because they go back in their run around that time and that is in a pretty shady area. Or possibly they have knocked up some kind of chicken moonshine in the coop and are partying away.

[dizzylizzie]

well mine are obviously 'big girls' and want a later bed time....im gonna leave them longer tonight and see if they go in themselfs  

[flangey]

I've been thinking about getting an automatic door, would you recommend it Roughlee? I didn't realise you could set the time on them, that might be handy.  We're off on holiday for a week in September with dogs and our neighbour looks after the cats and chickens.  I thought it might be easier for her if I got one, although she's always up early.  I always have to check that they're all in at night as well for my own peace of mind, one to think about I suppose.......

[IMOmimey]

I don't let mine out til 7.30am cos cockerels, seems like a civilized time so the neighbours don't start complaining. They take themselves off to bed, and attempts to encourage them in for an early night take me so long, its usually dark by then anyway, so they always win
Interestingly, the "children" seem to go to bed quite early, the oldest always waits until everyone safely in before she goes in, so I know that if she's still out, I have to hunt around for the naughty stop-out

[BarnBrian]

I've been using a VSB for a year and just  run it with a light sensor so at the moment they're up at whatever time the sun comes up. They put themselves to bed between 9 and 9:30. They've never missed the door going down. I wouldn't be without it.

Brian