Part 0800.0005

[Dizzy-Deb]

Hi,

 

I am curious as to what time (if you shut them in) do you shut the door ? and again what time you let them out in the morning ?

 

Thanks xx

[mafia princess]

Mine put themselves to bed at around 8.15pm but it gets earlier by about 5-10 minutes each evening as the nights start to draw in - and I always shut the door especially since Mr Ratty has been seen nosying around!

[mafia princess]

Oh yes - I forgot!! I let them out around 6.45am now as I leave for work at 7 - having got their fresh glug and grub ready the night before!

[Deb Dav]

My have got themselves to bed by 8pm, I normally go out by 8.30pm to close the cube door.

 

Weekdays I open the cube at 6.16 in the am and on weekends it is normally open by 7.15 am.

 

As the nights draw in the girls are up locked earlier and earlier as they are putting themselves to bed earlier.

[Olly]

Never shut the door. Last night they put themselves to bed around 8ish, but that's probably because I was still pottering around the garden and they were hoping for food. Normally it would be a bit earlier than that. Couldn't tell you what time they get up! (Their Eglu is in a secure walk-in run, so they are safe).

[chicken bark]

I shut mine in when they go to bed at dusk and I let them out around 7.30 every morning, sometimes a little earlier, sometimes a little later. This may change with the darker winter mornings. I'll only let them out when it is daylight.

[..lay a little egg for me]

I shut mine in when they go to bed at dusk and I let them out around 7.30 every morning, sometimes a little earlier, sometimes a little later. This may change with the darker winter mornings. I'll only let them out when it is daylight.

 

Ditto!

[sjp]

my lot put themselves to bed about 15mins before it's dark or when they get fed up with Rusty's moaning which she normally starts about 40mins before she thinks it's bed time.

I let them out about 7am weekdays abit later on the weekend

[helen1962]

My girls put themselves to bed at just after 8pm sometimes earlier if it has gone dark. They get up when I do! usually between 6:30 and 7:30. The din when I am 5 minutes late! I work shifts and when I am on an early particularly in 'Winter they get a shock when I open the cube whilst it is still dark!

[grracee]

Lately, as it's been getting dark earlier they have been putting themselves to bed about 8pm, i'll shut them in around 8:30pm. Then i'll open them up about 7:30 in the morning

[Snoxy]

Mine take themselves off to bed before dark and I lock them up as soon as they are all in the shed.

 

I used to let them out at 7am...then 7.30am and now around 8am...sometimes around 8.15am on the weekend...always sleep with the en-suite window open and don't hear lots of noise even if I am awake before 7am

[Dizzy-Deb]

Thanks for your comments. Its interesting to find out what you do.

 

I am still settling in with my chickens (only had them a week ) so its all a bit of trial and error for me at moment. I have been leaving the door open and only shut it the one night but felt guilty about it (stupid I know) cause they wouldnt have access to food or water but know they are probably safer.

 

I have shut them in tonight and will let them out about 7.30 tomorrow. I hope they are not noisy while being shut up in the morning. When they have got themselves up, especially the past few morning I have heard them making a fair bit of noise

 

Will see if being shut in makes them a bit quieter until a sensible hour. xx

[alet_chicken]

Hi Dizzy-Deb, if morning noise is a problem then you could experiment with darkening the house and shutting them in until a civilized time. I have a cover made from two layers of weed control fabric, it doesn't let light through but also doesn't interfere with the ventilation in my Cube.

 

I shut the pop hole just before we go to bed at night. Might start doing it earlier when it gets colder.

[bevvy1]

i usually shut mine in not long after they go to bed, i put a dark blanket over the eglu at night so they aren't noisy at all in the mornings.

[Dizzy-Deb]

i usually shut mine in not long after they go to bed, i put a dark blanket over the eglu at night so they aren't noisy at all in the mornings.

 

I think thats a good idea to try a blanket or some of the weed control blanket over my eglu.

 

I dont want any 'noise' problems with my neighbours, its not so bad on a weekday if they are a bit vocal but weekends we all like a lie in

 

My hubby doenst think I should shut them in and just let them come and go as they please, and shouldnt worry about the little bit of noise, that I am being over sensitive about it!

[Plum]

I would always, always shut them in. A fox can get a limb through the wire of the eglu run and it would be tragic if they caught one. My friend was leaving her door open one night prior to going on holiday to make it easier for her chicken sitter. She was woken by a fox on top of the run trying very hard to get her girls. They were terrified but unharmed but this was by pure luck it hadn't grabbed one .

[Mercedes55]

We did leave our Cube door open for a few nights when we first got it as the people at Omlet said it was fine to do that. However having read a few posts on here about foxes we have started to shut the door now. Our girls are very good and put themselves to bed at about 7.30pm. Our new girls who we got at the weekend and are only 14wks old, the first two nights we had to round them up and put them inside the Eglu. Tonight when we went outside to see how they were at about 8pm and they had alsp put themselves to bed, little cuties. We were very impressed at how quickly they had learned where their bed was

 

We have a WIR and although I doubt a fox could actually get inside the run I worry that one could startle the girls in the night and make them panic. It just feels safer knowing they are shut up for the night. They don't need to eat or drink at night so I don't worry about them not having access to food and water overnight either.

[abwsco]

Ours are let out of the WIR at 7.45am ish as DH leaves for work but later on as it gets darker I do it before I go to work. They were all locked in the WIR at 7pm tonight as it was going dark and a neighbour has a new kitten which is stalking them at every opportunity so I wasn't taking any chances.

[daxigirl]

They get let out when I get up which varies from 05.30am onwards. They only initially get into the run for their breakfast they don't get to free range while I'm not around. They are so clever though and put themselves to bed, even from day one, it's getting earlier each day, 7pm last night but the rain may have made that decision for them.

 

I do shift work so my neighbour comes and shuts the door for me if I'm on a night, the first time she said she kept looking to make sure she hadn't left anyone in the run but she couldn't see them inside either.

[Dizzy-Deb]

Morning everyone.

 

that seemed to work. Didnt hear any 'chicken noises' this morning and went and let them out at about 7.30am.

 

They were ready to come out mind you.

 

Its my hubby that seems to have a problem with me locking them in, I think he likes to see them in the run when he wakes up in the morning and looks out the bedroom window. xx

[Plum]

He will if you get up early enough

 

(put him in room 101)

[Snoxy]

Isn't Room 101 a little crowded with OH and DH?

[Dizzy-Deb]

Isn't Room 101 a little crowded with OH and DH?

 

Whats room 101 ?

 

Does any else's girls come running out of their eglu even though they have gone to bed, when you turn up to shut them in. Mine do, I have to wait patiently while they pop back off to bed....bless them.

[Alis girls]

Mine do that its so annoying as I sneak out on commercial break of corrie and out pops a head - i think they think they will miss some goodies I let them out at 6 today - they looked like me - stagering about after alarm went off. I put to bed when run is empty and tip toe out in the hope they dont hear me

[Dizzy-Deb]

I must admit I am resting easier now since the decision to shut them in at night. I am sleeping better and I am not hearing any nosies from the girls so far so am not worrying about them disturbing the neighbours.

 

Hubby went out and let them out this morning, bless him. Hes always up before me, so kind of makes sense... but as they are 'my chickens' dont expect him to do that. Considering he didnt really want to 'get involved' with them apart from the building part & enjoying the eggs.... hes getting quite attached to them I think.

 

Ali, I know exactly what you mean, I sneak out with the torch (cause no lighting up yet in top garden) to go shut them in, and soon as they hear me..... they come racing out the eglu... naughty ladies... so have to wait for them to go back in.. I feel like a twit waiting there for them. Neighbours probably think there is a burglar mooching about in the back gardens... or think I have gone potty.!!!