coop door open or closed at night?

[lotzahenz]

What a cute little coop! If it is as hot at your place as it is here, you must do something, unless you babysit until about 10pm, or even later. Last night here at 2:30 am it was still 80 degrees at waist level in my coop and I have a LOFT, where I thought most of the heat would rise to. Wonder how hot is is up there?

I think you need a "screen" door. I'd make it out of strong hardware cloth. That would help, you could just wait and see................hope for the best. I see your shingled roof, (mine is same, just big) and it would be great to have some roof vents wouldn't it? Called ridge vents I think. I think my next roof will be white metal, with a ridge vent the whole length, with sky lights in it too. The ridge vents have bird screen, but you may need something stronger with a shorter coop. I'd put that little tiny coop inside a fairly secure fence and get me the predator 'eyes' and not worry too much for the best idea.........no wait.................I'd keep that cute little coop and just build me a bigger one with a high ceiling........................don't listen to me, I'll get you in trouble, chicken math. HenZ

 

[PHILMAN]

Hey Henz ,
Well your right I should do something but....... I've been letting them stay inside the pen all night they are covered and have plenty of roosting space to roost . So they been liking that so far .
I just dont want to do anything to the coop because I know in the winter I would wish it was sealed up better . I do keep the door open so they can go inside if they wanted to .
Thanks Philman

 

[MissD1970]

My coop is about the same size, and I have 4 barred rock chicks (looks about the same as yours in the picture) and I close them in the coop at night. I opened the little window, and thats all they have. I am TERRIFIED of something getting my girls. I feel like my coop is too small, although it was sold as good for 4 large birds, or six small. SO..anyway, I have the hardest time getting them in the coop at night, but I keep at it, because I cannot let them in the run at night. I am also in NJ and high heat is on the way.

this chicken farming is harder than I thought!!

 

[PHILMAN]

MissD1970
It took a while for the chicks to get the hang of it to get back into the coop . But after a couple of days they now go back inside the area.
What time are you putting them in ? Mine start going @ 7:30 - 8:00 . Then they pick a spot on the roost and I close the door . How long have you had them? What part of NJ are you from?

Philman

 

[stormylady]

Absolutely,100 % closed !!

 

[harveyhorses]

Can I change my mind? Or let me re-phrase that, I have changed my mind.
We are having an infestation of owls, two night ago there was one perched on the top of the roof. Last night there were three, and the girls were all in the farthest roost in the corner of the coop. I KNOW they can't get through the hardware cloth top, but another section has a tarp over chicken wire. The tarp is pretty well 'sewn' on the sides. I covered the edge of the tarp with Duct tape, and wove wire through it and around the wall of the run. But who would feel safe with something sitting on your roof telling you how they are going to rip you to bits and feed
you to their young? That's what it sounded like to me.
ANYWAY. I just think the girls feel safer no in their coop. I am going to replace the solid door with a hardware cloth door for more air flow. This
is making me reconsider and automatic door.
They were really nervous today when they were ranging. How do you explain 'free range' does not include my kitchen?