Do we need to close the door to the roost every night?

[hayesfamily]

We built the Wichita cabin coop and will be moving our ladies out in the next few weeks. If the coop door is closed and locked do we still need to close the roost door every night and let them out in the morning or can we let the decide when they're ready for the day? We live in Los Angeles so temperature shouldn't be a factor.

 

[CMV]

I would recommend locking them in tight for the night. A great many predators will dig into a coop if given enough time (like 8 hours of darkness while we are sleeping). I would hate to see the whole flock lost in one night.

Good luck. And beautiful coop, by the way. I had to look up the design. Lovely.

 

[chickengal30]

Well my coop and conected run should be ready in the next day or so

and Im not going to be shutting the door from the run into the coop (Im in Florida so its warm enough for them) however the coop and run is compleatly "wrapped" in the small holed hardware cloth and the floor is 3/4" plywood, so no-ones getting in or out!! I think as long as there compleatly secure you dont have to shut them in at night, just my opinion.

 

[alhanse77]

We have four hens in a small ark-style coop. We let them free range all day and rarely, if ever, close the doors at night. So far, it is a risk we are willing to take.

 

[matimeo]

The attached run to my coop is secure, so I leave the pop door open, even in the dead of winter so the ladies can get down and mess around in the run until we let them out to free range. Doesn't stop them from making a huge racket every morning waiting to be let out.