Do you ALWAYS lock your coop at dusk?

[joemwm]

my coop sliding doors get closed every night and I have a spring pin that has to be pulled back to open or close the door don't want to wake up and find out that some coon figured out how too get a fingerhold on the door and that the door slides up to open they are too smart not too have second fale safe

 

[myfivegirls]

I always close up the coop, but most of the time, it's an hour or two after dark, not at dusk. Sometimes, when it's been really warm at night, and the chickens are panting, I'll just use the screened door and window for the closed "door". But, I found that mice can eat through triple-thick plastic screening on the door and even an old wire screen window. The only "safe" way to have a "screened door" is if you use hardware cloth.

 

[WiMoSiFr]

I have lost 1 chicken one time and 2 chickens another time when I did not shut the coop door before dark. Needless to say, I'm much more careful now! That said, I leave the pop door open to the run because something would have to rip open the wire or dig under to get in, and it hasn't been a problem. There is no door on the run and it's a pain in the patootie to close and open the pop door, and I'd like them to be able to go outside in the morning before I let them out of the coop. The only time I've had a problem is if I leave open the coop door that opens to the chicken yard. It's enclosed in 6 foot chain link, which is fine during the day, but sorely lacking when it comes to predators that come out at dusk.

I voted yes, always, because I consider my run secure and an extension of the coop.

 

[Davlyn]

Quote:
I may not make it right at dusk all the time. If I am workn' late or not home the Hubby has to, so I am at his mercy when he gets home. at times I have 1 or 2 that linger, so we have 2 wait on them to go in

But it is shut every nite, no matter when

 

[Ohhhdear]

My daugher in law's sister keeps chickens in Massachusetts, and every single time she neglects to shut up her coop at night she's had either the neighborhood dogs or cats or raccoons get into her coop and run and kill chickens. Considering how emotionally attached she is to her birds, it's pretty horrible for her.

I'm constantly amazed how willingly my chickens "put themselves to bed" every night, going up the ramp into their coop at dusk and settling on the roosts. When I first put them in the yard when they were pullets, my father in law told me to put a high, temporary fence about 10' around the coop for them to get used to being outside and to "bond" with the place they were to spend the night. He said after 2-3 weeks they'd never go more than 200 feet from their coop even when the temp fencing came down, and he was right.

 

[fl_deb]

Okay...you got me....I don't know how to vote this one! Let me explain:

my coop and run are above ground and integrated, so no coop door to lock.

Both are built using hardware cloth or lumber to enclose, including roof, to the same level... I feel they are secure!

My girls free range inside my fenced in yard (5 and 6 ft fences)...and have a large 2x2 ft door in run in which to come and go as they please.

I intend to close them in every night at dusk.

I fail to do this on occasion, because I am not home yet, because I am not perfect.

I am very thankful, everytime I get away with these lapses in responsibilities.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

I always lock mine up in their coops if not right at dusk then as soon as I can get out there which right now is about 8-8:30 PM after DD gets in bed. My birds were 100% free range during the day and locked up at night, but after having 1 of my 2 neighbors chunking rocks at my chickens in the day time when they wandered into that yard or trying to run over them if they were in that driveway, I moved them to other wise of my property and fenced them in a large space with cheap fencing and let them free range 1-2 hrs before dark everyday if possible. I always lock them up though because of all the hunting dogs in the area, that seem to eventually wander home after running in the middle of the night and I have lost 1 bird to a hunting dog and the other neighbor (the one I like and get along with) has lost a few to his son's dogs. I am not one to take chances, I may be a little late but I do lock them up. I have even forgotten until 11pm at night (last night) and went out with my spotlight and an umbrella (pouring down rain) and locked them up for my peace of mind.

 

[bumpershoot]

Even though I lock mine every night there are many many nights that we get home late from town. When that happens I just do a quick head count (though frankly, there's not much I can do for a chicken that's been gotten while free ranging) and lock the place up. I have to say, one of the things that I REALLY like about chickens is that they put themselves to bed.

 

[Cowgirl71]

I have two coops. #1 I do lock up EVERY night, #2 I never lock up. #1 I lock up because even though it's enclosed by a seven foot tall 1 x 2 galvanized mesh run, it does not have a mesh apron, mesh buried, or a mesh roof on the run. So critters could climb over or dig under. It's also a good ways away from the house, not protected from the watch dogs, and so if their was a ruccus I would never hear it.

Coop #2 IS right near the house, and so under protection by the watch dogs. It also has a 1/2" galvanized mesh for the run, buried 6 inches, and 2 x 4 galvanized mesh for the roof of the run.

 

[xxSonja]

If not just on dark as soon as possible after.
Its the last thing i do before heading inside for the evening.
If i know im gonna be home later than an hour or so after dark, i lock them in early before i leave or i bribe one of my teenage step sisters to come over and do it for me.
There have been rare occasions where Ive been later than expected and had to go out in the pitch dark and get each chicken one by one and put them in the coop (suprisingly i only have a couple who scream bloody murder when grabbed in the dark)
all my coops back on to my house, with locking doors, and my great dane/ bullmastiff X sleeps right outside the coops in his kennel.
We have never lost an animal to a predator yet (touch wood) and to be honest the only ones i actually worry about are the 2legged kind since they seem to be quite active in my area atm... Theyve already killed one ladies 20+ ducks, another family's Massive pet pig (Theres no way kids did it, had to be Atleast 2 or 3 strong adults), plus a string of dogs and cats.
I take all precautions now.
All i can say is god help them if they ever set foot on my property...