I know this illustration could be a bit larger, but it does offer an array of bedding options to consider for your flock. So put on your reading glasses, because research is always our best tool in chicken keeping.
Chickens are active and full of personality by day… then when the sun goes down they turn into a total milk dud. I don’t understand the reason for this zombie-like behavior, except maybe as an asset to chicken keepers.
Chickens have a strong homing instinct which drives them to return to the same place to roost at dusk. Because of that homing instinct, once chickens have spent a few nights in the coop provided for them, they will continue to return there night after night. However, it is not uncommon to have one or even a few that insist on choosing another place to roost, such as a tree limb, roof, or fence. If this occurs, you can place them in the coop by hand. It may take a week or so before they figure out where the home is supposed to be. But with a little persistence on your part, they all do. So, yes, chickens are trainable.
A chicken’s night behavior is indeed weird, but if you’re smart you can certainly use it to your advantage. The night is the best time to handle, inspect, and doctor chickens. Especially the ones that are difficult or impossible to catch during the day. Every flock has a few birds that are feisty and full attitude, don’t sweat it… they all turn into a sac of potatoes when the sun goes down.
Even if you sneak a new bird in the coop after dark, it will most likely go unnoticed until morning. Some chicken keepers choose to introduce birds this way. However, I must warn you, a chicken’s night stupor disappears the moment they march out of the coop at the crack of dawn. Then it’s a whole new ball game of unkind introductions!
If you are considering keeping backyard chickens to provide fresh eggs for your family, it’s important to know how many hens you’ll need. If you don’t have a source for excess eggs you’ll want to make sure you don’t have too many hens. Maintaining a flock also means an extra chore, the more birds you have the more work there is, so it’s best to start sensibly.
The rule of thumb is two standard-size hens per family member. This will keep your refrigerator stocked with an ample supply of eggs every week.
Note: Although starting with a small flock, make sure you buy or build a coop that will allow you to add more birds later. More space is always better than not enough. Expanding coops size can be an expensive afterthought.
