Chicken boarders

[Sageandonion]

Sorry if this sounds a stupid question but I'm just wondering what the sleep pattern of chickens are. Once they take themselves off to bed do they tend to stay asleep all night - I guess what I'm really asking is do they make any noise in the night - just thinking about the neighbours. Also wondering what time people let their chickens out in the morning and do they make much noise when they wake up?

 

Thank you.

[jennydavies]

Ours go off to bed around 10ish at night and because I am able to leave the hen-house door open I think they get up around 6.30 in the morning. They make no noise during the night and don't come out of the hen-house until morning, but because they don't eat or drink during the night, they are hungry and thirsty first thing. I am able to leave water and food in the WIR ready for when they get up. They make no noise until they see the Greyhounds let out into the garden and then they run up and down their ladder because they know I will be coming out to let them into the open run and bring more food for them.

Hope this helps.

[Mercedes55]

I think it depends on the time of year too. They go to bed as it starts to get dark and wake up when it's light if they are aware that it's light. I guess with the Eglu it's probably quite dark in there even when it's daytime, but maybe they hear the birds in the trees too and that could wake them up.

 

I've only had mine since the weekend so I'm very new to all of this, but so far in the mornings they've been half asleep when I've opened the Eglu to let them out. When they go to bed they make quite a racket with their feet as they sort out who is going to roost where, but I don't think they make any noises during the night.

 

I leave the water out overnight but I take the food indoors as I worry about vermin getting in

[Sageandonion]

Thanks that's reassuring, fingers crossed ours will be quiet in the night too.

[majuka]

Some of ours snore, we found this out when we have had reason to bring them in (we have terrible fireworks round here and bonfires that are left burning). It's a very sweet sleeping noise that they make!