coop door open or closed at night?

[constantine337]

Quote:
Same here. I leave the door open 24 hours cause sometimes my girls are already out before I get up. But my run and coop are completely closed off from predators. I guess it all depends on the construction of your coop and run.

 

[PHILMAN]

Well last night was their first night out !

And they did great ! The girls went to bed at a reasonable time , and everything went well ! Thanks for all the help !

 

[PHILMAN]

Well all done!! I dug a 12" trench around the whole coop and put wire all around and buried it !! Now I will feel better at night so hopefully no animals will get at my chicks ! I will be leaving the door open at night so it wont be to hot inside .

Thanks for everyones help .

 

[bryan99705]

If your secure, why not cut some sapling or branches a little longer than the coop is wide and hang the ends thru the wire? This would give your birds a hot weather perch alturnative. Just try to position them away from the wire, out of reach of a reaching-thru coon's paw.

 

[lotzahenz]

I would still try and cut a window in your coop if you can. Then cover it with hardware cloth. I save the 'cutout' and put it back in place in the winter and if it rains really bad. It just gets so hot in there during the dog days of summer. I put a box fan in my opening and push the hot air out. I actually have two windows one for air in and one for air out, I don't have glass in it, was no real need. If your run is really secure, leaving the pop door open is okay, unless you get a weasel and I don't think much of anything keeps them out. Good luck, HenZ

 

[PHILMAN]

bryan ,
I did do something like that i put a 1x1 piece of wood through there and wired it up in two places . What about raccoons ? You think they will grab the chickens before they wake up? i guess they can grab them but I thought they would wake up and jump if they had to. what else should I do? I did put them up high .
Thanks Phil

 

[PHILMAN]

This is what the coop looks like .
It is small but it works. I should have showed you the inside too.
Now you know there really isnt a spot to cut the window in .


I had to show a picture of the chicks !! I have two Buffs and two Barred rocks and one Black star .

 

[Buugette]

Quote:
I do the same. My girls sometimes sleep out in their run.

 

[PHILMAN]

Buugette

Thats cool !No pun intended ! Ha ! Now I am too ! Did you see the coop ? do you think raccoons will reach through the fence and get the chicks while they roost ?

 

[Cetawin]

I admit to not reading any of the replies but...it must be closed. You need to ad windows covered with hardwire cloth...you can run a box fan to help circulate air more also. At night an open door is a "Dinner Here" sign for predators, they will find them and then they will annihilate the flock.


You can take a jigsaw and cut openings in the side of the coop and up in that eave, cover them with hardwire cloth and ventilate the coop more. That wire will not protect them from coons...a coon will pull an adult chicken through that opening and trust me...that is not something you want to see. 1/4" or 1/2" hardwire cloth is the protection you need.