Closing up every night?

[dani813]

We always lock up our girls at night, too.

 

[Opa]

I started out checking my birds every night to make sure they had gotten in before the automatic door closed. After several weeks of them all being in, I quit checking. One morning I went out and discovered that one of my at POL BO pullets had gotten locked out. We had freezing rain that night and she froze to death. I felt extremely bad because it could have been prevented had I been checking on them. Now I'm back to doing a nightly count.

 

[truckerswife]

Every night...for the past 8 years. I even arrange things in the evening (going to dinner, movies) to be done so I get back before dark or go after lock up the girls.

 

[farmerbrown]

We let ours stay in the run at night as long as it’s warm. We have never had any problems. The goats do keep everything that walks away. The run is closed up tight but one day something will happen.

 

[ZooMummzy]

I only shut their pop door on nights when it is below 25. They love to be on their own schedule, which does not always fit mine.

Their coop is inside a run that is like Fort Knox - surrounded by railroad ties, 5 layers of buried wire, locks, bolts, solid roof, etc. Plus the run is behind our solid 8ft fence with motion lights everwhere and a house full (and neighorhood) of cats and dogs. I will never say never but I feel pretty secure with our set up. However, if something ever does get into my yard and then run, it will get into my coop so leaving the door open is not going to prevent anything.

 

[amazondoc]

My birds are in a completely enclosed, secure pen. I do NOT close their coop at night, unless the temp is going to go below about 15. About half of the birds prefer to sleep outside in the covered portion of the pen, even on the coldest nights.

I should also add that I have a herd of dobermans, which helps to keep the risk of other predators down.

 

[JennsPeeps]

We're in the "lock-em-up" club. In the winter it's actually easier to go out b/c we leave the house after it's dark (5p in Seattle!). It's the summer when it's harder - we want to stay out at friends' houses but get nervous about the girls.

 

[scooter147]

I am like a prison guard, I do bed checks and lock down. I lock the pop doors from the inside, I don't trust coons.
In the spring and summer when I play ball or won't be home before dark I do let my lab/chow mix out all day until I get home and she has not let a predator past her yet.

But lock up every night is the safest and surest way to go, trust me, I have learned from experience the night you don't is the morning you find carnage.

 

[jab91864]

I let mine out to free range for a few hours each day. I call them back to the run and lock the gate. At dusk or there abouts I lock the coops shut. Typically everyone is inside but once in a while I have to hunt somebody down and put them to bed!!

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Every night I do a head count and watch some of our girls go to sleep. It's not the smartest thing to do in cold weather, but I like to make sure everything's taken care of so I'll find all in place the next morning. The coop is locked, as well.