[Celli]

Bit of a random question, but what time do people generally open up the coop pop hole in the morning ?.
I always feel a tad guilty if I'm not up at the crack of dawn to let them out .
I only have four hens in a coop built for 12, so they're not exactly crammed in.

[Marches Farmer]

Ours get opened as soon as someone's up or around 7.00 a.m. at the latest through the summer, earlier if we're up.  Foxes hunting in the daytime have been a problem this year so we've left the free rangers until 7.30 a.m..  In mid Winter it's around 8.00 a.m.

[Jukes Mum]

Same as Marches- we tend to leave our free rangers in until 7.30 or 8, but the youngsters in the enclosure get let out as soon as someone's up.

[Dave C]

Same here, I have a secure run on the side of mine so they can come out and get some fresh air as soon as its light, takes the pressure off having to let them out to free range first thing.

[Celli]

Mine are usually let into pen around six, then let out to free range about nine, that way I know they've at least eaten some of their pellets .

[doganjo]

not before 8.30, unless I'm up early for a  dog show 

[twizzel]

My automatic pop hole opener opens at 5.30am in summer, about 7.30 in the depths of winter. Shuts at 10.15pm summer and about 4.30 winter.

[doganjo]

Can I ask what the benefits are in letting them out so early and for such a long time, other than fresh air?  Or is it to benefit and fit in with the time of the owner?

Mine get out at 8.30 because that's when i let my dogs out after I get up, and occasionally it's later.  They don't seem to mind.

[greenbeast]

My automatic pop hole opener opens at 5.30am in summer, about 7.30 in the depths of winter. Shuts at 10.15pm summer and about 4.30 winter.

I might have to sort out some of them. Would mean if we have a late night gigging or catering i haven't got to feel guilty about laying in

[twizzel]

Best thing I ever bought for my hens when they moved from the back garden to a patch on the farm further away from the house. They have a pheasant feeder hopper for ad lib pellets, and we are about to put it a mains water trough for them too. They look after themselves if we can't get down there until later in the day.

[Eve]

They're awake at 4am in summer (at least mine are, they already wander around by 5am in December) so I like them to get as much time outside as possible as it presumably helps with early morning squables. I've never stood there at 4am to check on my theory, though, as the run is fox proof so the coops are left open. ?

They need enough daylight to lay so maybe it helps in that respect, too. 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I let mine out at around 9.30, it gives them a chance to lay inside before free ranging. I don't let them out too early as we have had many fox attacks then, but not too late especially in summer. Evening they usually go in when it starts to go dark so all I have to do is close the door behind em

[ellied]

Between 6am-7am usually, bit later in winter.  Dusk in winter can be 330pm so I don't want them locked in longer than necessary in the morning.  They go straight to free range as the big pen they had was dismantled last year and never replaced due to circumstances.  I would still like one at some point just to gather in a wee bit earlier and have safer morning time by the coop to encourage laying there, but I can't manage construction myself. 

The newer POLs overnight in a wee coop in a run that hasn't much space in it and get corn in there around 6pm, locked in about 9, let out 6ish and run opened around 9am unless I'm away earlier in which case it varies. 

And the growers are all living in pens at present, will start free ranging during daytime once they're a bit bigger and more likely to scare the cats than run away.

[Bionic]

We have an automatic opener on the door but they can't get out because we always shut the pop hole ourselves so that they don't get out and about too early in case Mr Fox is around.
Generally they are let out between 7.30 and 8am.

The auto door is a boon though for evenings. They put themselves to bed and we don't have to worry if we are home late because the door shuts as it gets dark.

[Celli]

Mine kick up a bit of a stink if I leave them inside too late, guess it's just what they're used to.
I quite look forward to the winter so I can get a bit of a lie in lol.