Chicken lock-up?

[dscheck]

Is it necessary to lock up the chickens in the henhouse at night? During the day they have the house and a small enclosed run to stretch their legs. I haven't received my hens yet and am trying to figure out how all this works!

 

[mgibbzzz]

My boys and girls all go into the coop on their own. I shut the big door to the coop, but the little door that they use stays open. Good luck with your chickens. Welcome.


Michelle

DMK Ranch

 

[Beekissed]

Same here. Some folks feel closing the pop door at night prevents predation. I free range and my pop door opens into the yard. I have some very bored, very large predators of my own that sleep next to that door, so I have no worries at night! Good luck!

 

[wynedot55]

close your hen an human door at nite.or else varmitts will get in an kill your chickens.a friend of mine lost 8 pullets to possums.an he finally set a trapp an caught a possum or 2 an killed them.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I lock up my coop nightly to keep raccoons out of the coop.

At 7:05 this morning the chooks were complaining that they were still inside. As the nights get longer I suspect we'll have to put a feeder in the coop overnight to allow them to eat.

 

[Lobzi]

I have a totally enclosed pen and inside that is the coop that has a permanently open door. I just lock my chickens in the pen after they go to roost in the coop. I dont plan on anything getting into the pen/coop area so I see no need for a second closure on the coop its self.

 

[dscheck]

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[sammy]

i have a coop inside a pen i lock the pen door and the coop itself gets locked too

also put the coop up on cinderblocks and remove chicken walk when i lock the coop