Do your put your chickens in at night?

[Akane]

I open the door irregardless of weather unless it's like white out blizzard and I don't want to go outside. Every night they get locked up or chickens/guinea fowl disapear before morning. Sometimes they disappear when we are just a little late closing the door.

 

[luvmychks51]

my new coop is just this side of fort knox. I have had too many eaten by foxes, coyotes - you name it. they put themselves away at night and I clip the little door. Knock on wood, I haven't lost one in almost 2 years. Yep - you need to keep em in at night if you want to keep them alive. Everything likes to eat chickens.

 

[12GAGirl]

When we first moved my flock at 10 weeks old to their chicken kingdom, for the first week we would put them in their coop and close the door so they wold know that is their home. After a weekend of my husband having to chase them and put them in the coop they learned it was easier for them to go up the ramp and in the coop without his help. So, now they go in their coop everynight right before dark and we leave the door open so they can come out when they please. So far, we have not lost any chickens and have only found one possum in our yard and the dogs chased him up a tree before he got anywhere near the chicken kingdom!

 

[lemurchaser]

I have a fully enclosed, super secure chicken run. It is on concrete, has a complete roof and nothing can get in. The coop is always open to the run, but I'll open the run door to the outside and let them free range in the yard, and then I always go out and lock them back up for the night. If a predator can get in, then they need to be locked up every night.

 

[nanawendy]

I so agree with above post. The only way to secure your birds is to secure the coop @ night. Predators are in it for the blood. They will crawl under, go over, pierce through and even shake a lock open if possible.
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[poultryfan73]

Quote:
I let mine out in the morning when-ever I get up,and shut them all in when they go in to coop for the night.

I wouldn't recommend letting them stay outside or leave the door open unless you would like to loose a few chickens if not all.

That's what I do anyway. I'm sure more do it this way but I don't know.

Thats exactly what i do. 1. you pretty much gurantee youreself that they will be safe overnight. 2. you get to tuck your birds in goodnight

 

[JustMandy]

I'm not sure how much I need to worry about preditors. (Hear me out) I live in an old neighborhood in the city, I've never had anything get into my open compost bin in 4 years. I've never seen evidence of anything more then cats in our fenced in back yard. The cats have been taken care of.

Seriuosly, no raccoons, opossums, snakes and certainly no coyotes or fox.

I'll put them up at night. Dh just didn't think we had to.

Due to our city ordenance, they will be in a run/coop all the time and I do plan on it being secure, from top to bottom.

Have cats been known to get through chicken wire? Hmm. That seems like a new thread topic.

 

[write2caroline]

Yup, My chicken go up the ladder into the coop and I raise up the ladder every night to lock them in and every morning I lower it again to let them down. We have all kinds of wildlife here too! I would hate to lose them to a predator. I had a fox run off with my rooster once but when I gave chase he let the rooster go!

The roo was free ranging at the time in the early morning before I wizened up to not letting them do that in the wee hours of the morning.
Caroline

 

[TinaK]

Quote:
I live in the middle of the city too... I see cats.. but have not had a problem with any 'ripping' through the chicken wire I have on 70% of my coop....yet.

My chickens have a ladder to an enclosed upstairs section in the coop. I locked them up every night when they were really young.... but now (13 weeks) they put themselves to bed upstairs and the small door stays open.

I have not had any problems "yet"..... I think they are happier letting themselves out each morning! They don't have to wait for me if the sun is shining earlier then usual!!

I do really hope they stay safe though!

 

[Badlatitude]

I definatly put my critters up for the night. Id rather take the 5 min to do that then wake up to a disaster in my coop.