Should I leave them in the coop or let them out?

[farlo4]

Hello again.

Here's the situation:

I have three pullets and one cockerel (9 weeks old). I also have four younger chicks (2-3 weeks old). Their chicken coop is still in construction, so it is very small. It is only 9'x2' and is separated in half so the bigger chicks don't hurt the smaller ones. It is a blocked off section in my horse's tack shed, but soon the horse stuff will be moved so they will get the whole shed. It has a red light on at the moment for the smaller chicks.

Anyways, I put the chickens to bed right before dark (8-9 pm), but I have a very strange sleeping pattern, and therefor I don't get outside to let out the chickens/feed the horses until 11-12 in the afternoon. (I don't let out the little chicks, just the older ones.) If you do the math, that keeps them in the coop for about 14 hours. Now obviously they sleep part of the night, but they wake up in the morning and I feel bad that they are cooped up (no pun intended) for so long. They have a roost, food, and water, but not very much walking room.

Outside of the coop they have a run, but it is in no way predator proof. It holds in the chickens but hungry animals could get in easily. However, I live in a very urban area, in the middle of the city. There are a few blocks of 1 acre property (which is what I live on) but then surrounded by houses, houses, houses. The only thing I can thing of that may want to eat the chickens would be a feral cat, however I've heard that chickens can defend themselves pretty well against a cat. My cat doesn't dare bother them.

I'm wondering if you guys think I should continue what I'm doing (keeping them locked up all night) or if I should just leave the door open so they can get in and out as they please? If I lived in a more rural area I wouldn't even ask, that's just asking for trouble. But in a place so urban as mine? What do you think?

Here's my very predator accessible coop.

 

[Laver2k]

Hi Farlo!

In Winter, I think you can get away with keeping them closed up a little longer. In Summer though, on a sunny day they are going to be awake at 5ish, so keeping them in a coop for 7 hours is probably a bit much. Mine tend to let me know they want out within a couple of hours of waking up.

I think these are your options:
1. Get an automatic door opener/closer. They aren't cheap (around $120 or so I guess) and you'll need to fit it but at least you can sleep that little bit longer without feeling guilty.
2. Get a bigger coop/shed (or maybe yours is big enough already?) with some stuff hung up that they can entertain themselves with.
3. Ask a neighbour's kids to do it for you! If you get on with your neighbours, maybe you could offer to give their kids a little extra pocket money to help you out!

Regarding predators, I've read that full sized chickens can hold their own against most cats (esp if you have a cockerel). Its foxes in an urban area that I would be a bit more worried about. We have an enclosed run for our chickens that they stay in most of the time. If we're at home and the weather is good, we let them out into a netted area (moveable netting made by Omlet).

You need to find what works for you, but hopefully there is some food for thought in my ramblings above .

 

[Eyeshot]

id definitely keep locking them up at night, as long as you dont notice them picking each other(a sign that they're getting cramped). as long as they got food and water, they should be fine and you definitely dont want them getting eaten by predators

 

[farlo4]

id definitely keep locking them up at night, as long as you dont notice them picking each other(a sign that they're getting cramped). as long as they got food and water, they should be fine and you definitely dont want them getting eaten by predators

I haven't noticed them picking on each other so I guess that's a good sign.