A little worried -- Will chickens go to bed by themselves?

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

New and don't want to amke mistakes costing my little darlings their lives so here's MY situations onthe same lines:
If you live in the country with feral cats, foxes, coyote, raccons etc, what's to stop one of those predators from walking into the coop after dark and before you get home to close the door and raveging the flock?

 

[wsdareme]

Quote:
One, make sure you have appropriate wire wrapping your run and any over any "holes" where predators could get in the coop. Two, get an automatic pop door closer. I have mine set to close at a certain time (which I adjust as the days grow shorter). The girls go in just before dark, and the pop door closes before any predators come around.

 

[Orchid]

When I moved my chickens from the brooder to their new coop, I left them in the coop for the first 36 hours - then I couldn't get them to leave.

So finally after two days I had to toss (not literally) them out into the run, and then worry all day about whether I'd have to put them back in the coop, and if so, how long I would have to do that. I needn't have worried. They trooped right up the ramp that evening, settled onto their roost and that was that. Now I just have to go out after I tuck the kids into bed and lock the coop door!

 

[mchl]

I dont know if i have super chickens or what but mine go to bed by themseves. eat what is put in front of them are friendly
and well behaved give me hours of fun, and soon eggs hopefully. This has been very easy and a no brainer, good thing
for me. dont worry its pretty easy. good luck

 

[alaskachick]

My chickens always go to their coop and roost at the same time each eve. I just go out about 9:30 pm and lock them inside. I have white christmas lites strung around the door to point the way in the dark. This is very helpful for them.

 

[cyberchick]

I am new to this also. We have an enclosed run and did not let the hens out of the run for a week. However, on the first day we went out to check on them and they had all gone into the coop. We were very surprised because we raised our coop of the ground so they had to know to walk the plank and they just had big sheds were we bought them from. We now let them out in the garden while we are there. If we have to go in we make sure they are back in the run. Cannot trust the foxes and cats. Hope you enjoy your chickens when you get the.

 

[lauraleigh]

Quote:
In my case, I am already planning how to prevent predators from getting the flock. I live in coyote country, plus snakes and foxes and raptors. To protect against the four-leggeds, I have a couple large dogs (St Bernard and retriever-collie cross) and am planning to get a livestock guardian dog.

While I'm learning about chickens, I'm learning about livestock dogs. I have learned that I need to get the flock first, then the LGD. It's going to be tricky, so I'm going to have to put up some fences so folks can get used to each other (dogs, cats, chickens, etc) without killing each other while I'm at work. Somehow (not sure how), I will have to integrate the LGD with the flock so she knows what her job is. Ideally, the LGD will have command of the entire outside fenceline, which is where the four-legged predators would come from once they smell the chickens.

In addition, I plan to use electric fencing around chicken yard. However, I'm not sure how well the LGD will like this. This is a good question. Should one let the LDG do her job of protecting, or give her some help? The electric fence would be between her and her flock, so maybe not a good idea. Will ask.

In the case of raptors (turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks, American Kestrels sometimes), I will either have a covered run of some good size, or I will have a fenced yard among the fruit trees for the chickens. Here and there, I will have pallets up on bricks or something (maybe about 15 inches in the air, so they have protection from overhead predators and some additional shade.

That's the plan. How realistic I am, what I have not thought of, etc., I will need the experienced folks to tell me.

LauraLeigh

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

I very much appreciate all the input. Sorry this reply is late - had a life&death family emergency I was attending to for the last few weeks. (all's well now)

So! My Flock. 24each, 9 week old Ameraucannas Large Fowl. 10 Acres of open field. Chickens are in a portable tracktor type of pen with 50 square feet of ground below them and an apartment above. I want to leave them free range.

50 sq ft is not enough for them to be on. I'm concerned that a predator will get into the coop, before it closes automatically at night or after it opens automatically in the morning. Feral cats, coyotes, a resident Red Tailed Hawk, a transient pair of wolves seen last winter and we've seen raccoon and possum sign. What are your ideas and advice? Thank you in advance. This a a great learning forum.

 

[Purple Veg*n]

Our little flock (three hens, one rooster) went in the coop by themselves the one time they were out after dark. I had forgotten to shoo them back in the coop before we left for our bookclub meeting and they stayed out in a temporary run which is enclosed with that orange plastic netting you see that construction sites to safeguard hazards. I didn't remember until we were heading home around nine o'clock. I was so afraid that would be the last we'd ever see of our chickies. But they were on their roost asleep when I checked on them.

 

[lauraleigh]

Quote:
You have a great question. You might try posting in a different thread with a good, catchy subject line. I don't have my flock yet, but I already know that I will be adding a livestock guardian dog to the crew. Wouldn't have livestock without one. At LEAST one. All the best to you!