Closing up every night?

[clayhill]

Yep, I count each one and lock 'em up EVERY night. If I didn't and something happened to them I would really feel bad. We do have racoons, skunks, possums, etc., even a very large bobcat that appears out of nowhere to give them the "snake eye". I have yet to see him when I had a weapon close by. I know there's a long line of predators waiting for me to make a mistake, but so far I've not lost any.

 

[kobesmom81]

Our silkies get locked up everynight. Since they can't fly I want to make sure they are safe and thier coop is probably the most predator proof coop we have. Our other birds pretty much have their spots picked out in the yard so they sleep under the stars with the exception of broodys on eggs or with babies. They also get locked up.

 

[kustomizer]

Our chickens put themselves away, it takes about a month to teach them to fly into a 10 inch square hole near the top of the coup by placing a ramp to it and sprinkle food on it at dusk. At first they walk up it then you lower it about six inches a week until you can take the ramp away. The hole is about 4 1/2 feet off the ground with a 6 x10 inch landing pad in front of it. I made an awning above the hole and after they get good at you can put a rubber fringe door over it to help keep the heat in.
Our chickens like to get up earlier than the wife and I so this way they can, we pick up eggs and give them a snack every other day or so and knock on wood we have not lost a chichen to a raccoon or skunk since we first taught them about 5 years ago, we used to get home a bit too late or forget completly to lock their door, now we don't have to. They seem to like the 25 acre yard and four hens take over a week to eat a quart of food, bugs and weeds taste better I guess.
If we want them to stay home we put a cinder block on the small landing pad.

 

[AngieChick]

Mine are in a secure run, so we don't always lock up right at sunset. However, we do lock up every evening. If we didn't, one of these days our girls would become coon kibble. It doesn't hurt to be overly cautious.

 

[friendlyearth]

We lock up every night about dark once the birds have all gone inside. Sometimes we get home later and then we just lock them up when we get home.

 

[Zahboo]

My girls are in a run. I lock them up when it gets below 30. That was there isn't a draft from the door. When it's nice, like this weekend, I leave it partially open, but I make sure I close the shutters, since it's right by the roost. If you are free ranging, I strongly suggest you lock up. I may start locking up every night. Winter means less food for predators, so they may look for my girls.

 

[ssteiner]

We live in the suburbs in Southern California, and my run is predator proof, but I don't want to gamble. I can't imagine how anything could get into my run (which is attached to the coop) but I know that hungry predators (even in the suburbs) are determined, so even though I don't know how anything could get in the run (and therefore into the coop) I go out every evening, just at sunset and close up the coop. The girls are invariably roosting and very mellow, they don't make a peep all night.

Before I converted and joined the lock 'em up camp, I used to have this recurring fear that I'd wake up at 2:30 in the morning to the sound of terrified and dying hens, under attack in their coop by some nefarious nocturnal predator. Now I sleep well, because nothing is getting in that coop when it's locked up.

-Scott

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I do. I have to count the chickens in the pen to make sure they are all there. 4 brahma hens 1 brahma rooster, 1 faverolle hen, 2 delewares, and 1 ee. lol All the others are in their breeding pens and can go in and out.

 

[tiffanyh]

Everynight...thought I was predator proof and found out the hard way. Fortunately I only lost one but learned my lesson. Not a single night is skipped.

 

[sewincircle]

Yup, locked up everynight. I check to be sure everyone is in. I even do it in the summer. Its just routine.