Do you shut your chicken door at night?

[kkapotsy]

I've been wondering this. I go out every night and shut their chicken door but the door is accessed in the run, which has so far seemed secure. I left it open last night by accident and the chickens were happily pecking in their run when I got up this morning. What do you
Guys do?

.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

In the past I've left it open at night. Right now I'm doing some work on the run so the top is not fully finished and secure, so I close and latch it every night. It's a real pain but it let's me rest easy at night. I would like to be able to leave it open at night but for right now I don't want to chance it.

Beautiful setup, by the way.

 

[kkapotsy]

Thank you! I love it, just wish I could have afforded a bigger coop... But one day haha. Since this pic, we covered the top with wire (same as sides) as well as shade cloth. So it feels secure. I might try every now and again and just see how I feel about it. Glad I'm not crazy for contemplating leaving it open for them!

 

[AllynTal]

I've been wondering this. I go out every night and shut their chicken door but the door is accessed in the run, which has so far seemed secure. I left it open last night by accident and the chickens were happily pecking in their run when I got up this morning. What do you
Guys do?

.

Some folks do leave the pop door open. . . .right up until the morning they find out the run they thought was predator-proof was proved to be not so much. Is that lattice decorative? There is wire behind it, yes? What size mesh is that wire?

I can't tell from the picture what kind of latch is on the lid for the nest boxes. That coop may not be so predator-proof either.

 

[kkapotsy]

Lattice is decorative, there is wire behind it. The wire was the recommended wiring for runs under hardware wish I forget the exact specs. There's a latch on all coop openings, including the nest box. The nest box latch is hook and eye which I know needs replacing but the lid is very heavy so not too worried about it, but definitely will be getting to it.

We do also have surveillance so I'm able to see if we have any lurkers around the coop at night and so far none.

 

[Pennychickens1]

I do not lock up right now. But there was one year when I had to lock up every night because we had raccoons killing hen six in a week .neightbors killed them for me an I started letting my dogs pee in the run now no raccoons.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I forgot to mention I did put a baby monitor or in the run a couple weeks ago. I've heard chickens don't make a lot of noise when under attack, but I know my guineas will. Yesterday my dog showed me one of the nearby fox holes has fresh dirt at the entrance. Then, last night my game camera picked up something(too blurry) around midnight. I'm ready...