Yes, chickens that are comfortable will always return to roost, especially at night. The secret to getting them to do this is to make sure the coop is comfy and free of predators.
At nightfall, the chickens should start wandering back into the coop to grab a snack and hop up on the roost. If the coop tends to be somewhat dark at dusk, leaving a light on inside will encourage the chickens to gravitate toward the brighter coop as the sky darkens.
If you have them in the habit of returning to their “home” (the coop), then it is unusual for the habit to be broken. So why do chickens NOT return to the Coop? What is it that stops your chickens from returning to the coop ? Well often it is that they are simply young and haven’t learnt to go into the coop at night. They haven’t learnt the habit.
Should chicken coop doors be closed at night?
If the weather allows it, chicken coops should be closed at night. As many predators are nocturnal, this will greatly increase the amount of protection for your chickens.
Every morning the coop door opens at dawn as well as the their run door because my flock free ranges all day. At night everything closes up. It allows me to sleep late or get home late or even go away overnight and the system is automated. If you plan on keeping chickens for a few years – this is a MUST HAVE investment!
I keep my coop open (doors and windows) all day in the summer, and keep windows open at night if it is particularly hot out. In the winter I try to keep the coop open for at least a few hours each day even if it is cold, but more if the weather is nice. Also if you plan to leave your windows open, make sure your screen is installed securely!
What time do chickens go to bed?
Chickens lives are controlled by light levels and bed time for your flock has more to do with brightness levels than time. Chickens begin to roost 30 minutes before dark. My chickens go to roost as early as 3:30pm in mid winter and as late as 9:30 in mid summer. How to get chickens to go into the coop at night:.
Should I give my chickens a roost to sleep on?
Moral : please provide your chickens roosts to sleep on! In the wild, a flock of chickens try to get as high off the ground as they can at night, most often in the branches of a tree. They do this to help them stay safe from land predators. What we are trying to do is train the chickens that their coop is a safe place to sleep at night .
Do you have a coop door on the run?
We have the coop door and a door on the run. By using pulleys, 1 motor will easily open both doors. Every morning the coop door opens at dawn as well as the their run door because my flock free ranges all day. At night everything closes up. It allows me to sleep late or get home late or even go away overnight and the system is automated.