[egbert]

Hi

Do chickens have to be let out at first light?

The OH lets ours out on his way to work at 6ish and at weekends I do it when I wake up at 7 - but we are off on our jollies this week and our neighbour will be letting them out for us, at nearer to 9. Will this upset them and mess up their laying do you think?

[Sharondp]

I usually let mine out at 7am. Occasionally I will have the rare treat of a lie-in and then I'm late letting them out - doesn't seem to affect their laying - they come out at  great speed though and look a bit cross but they soon settle when they've got some food! 

[doganjo]

Mine get let out when I have taken out my house dogs adn fed them and me - can be anytime from 7 am on a show day to 10 am if I am feeling lazy.  I've never actually asked them if they mind having long lies 

[little blue]

don't worry, they'll be fine I'm sure.
ours dont have a definite time for anything and don't seem to mind too much.
I reakon if you have a strict routine its a rod for your own back, as when things don't go to plan, they'll just complain!

[juliag]

9is is pretty normal for us, ours always have both water and food in their houses when we put them away, I have left them as late as 10 am however feel uneasy and guilty and would never leave them in that long if the weather is warm,, I find it gets quite hot in their house.

[Hermit]

I sort out my animals at 8.00ish. After three buckets of coffee The chooks all have food and water in their huts. The ducks I leave till last,about 9.00ish to try and catch as many eggs as I can.

[northfifeduckling]

7 a.m. It's the kids first, then the chickens, then the ducks...
The ducks get the same treatment as Hermit's or I'll have to find the eggs all over the garden. The broody ones are bad enough! the chickens stay in their run until 10ish or they'd eat all the ducks' food!!

[dixie]

I dont shut them in anymore as they go to bed later than me! so when I get up at 7 they are all doing their own thing anyway!!

[northfifeduckling]

we round them up around 10 at night. Once they are reminded where their bed is they tend to go in. It's tempting but not safe to leave them out where we are, the foxes across the road would love to have a free midnight feast...

[dixie]

I used to shut them in, we do have foxes nearby but our dogs live out so the foxes dont tend to come into the field where the chickens are, they stay in the back field, oh dear I've probably spoken too soon now

[northfifeduckling]

oh, our chickens go to bed by themselves, we just have to shut the door. It's the ducks that love to roam the garden endlessly to catch moths in the twilight  . With your dogs you should be safe enough, we just have a cat and she's useless as a fox deterrent as she spends all night inside 

[dixie]

Well they've been safe since we got them 4 years ago, I leave them out in the summer but shut them in, in the winter, longer nights so more hours for foxy to strike! But they go to bed so late, I just cant stay up that long!!

[Daisys Mum]

I usually let mine out about 8ish, ducks first so they get peace to eat then hens, well actually the ducks in the hen run don't go in at the moment
they used to but now that it is lighter they won't. The ducks in the yard go in about 9-9.30, same time as the hens.

[Sudanpan]

We invested in an automatic door opener and closer  its FAB  It was ok during the winter when it didn't get light until 7 but as dawn has got earlier and earlier, and dusk later and later the auto door closer has been a lifesaver.
The coop opens just after first light, but the hens are still in the run - I then go and top up their food but leave them in the run until about 8.30 - gives the dogs a chance to have their breakfast in peace!
After they have had free range of the field all day I get them back in the run at about 5pm, then the door closer does the business at dusk (dark dusk) - I make sure all hens are in but to date they have taken themselves inside the coop about 25 mins before the door shuts.
You can adjust the sensitivity of the light sensor to open/shut earlier or later if needed.

[valr]

we let ours out at 8 - last weekend we left them to 9.30 and they were not bothered.