Does anyone keep their chickens outdoors in a predator proofed run at night with an open air coop that's not locked?

[RainbowRabbits]

I'm not sure what you're asking.

My open air coop is a bag wire box with a 3-sided shelter at once end.

The wired area is secure, with doors that have double latches and are secured with Carabiners.

I'm asking if it's possible to predator proof a run enough where I could keep poultry in it overnight without locking them in a coop.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm asking if it's possible to predator proof a run enough where I could keep poultry in it overnight without locking them in a coop.

Yes, that's what an open air coop is.

I'm on my phone right now, but will try to remember to post some links for you when I got back to my desktop.

 

[Coops Dad]

I have a 3-sided tractor shed with a chicken wire and bird net front. Many of our chickens prefer to roost outside of the two coops inside the shed and I had occasional losses to hawks by day and owls by night. Since completion, we've had no losses.

The wood frame is the top of a 7' tall x 40" wide door which I built myself.

 

[RoyalChick]

I'm asking if it's possible to predator proof a run enough where I could keep poultry in it overnight without locking them in a coop.

I am in a cold climate so I have an enclosed coop, but it opens into a predator proof run so I only close the pop door between the coop and the run when it is extremely cold with high wind (just to reduce blasts of air coming in from the pop door).
Most of the time they sleep in the coop and then come out into the run on their own timetable in the morning.
Then I sometimes let them out of the run to free range - but that is obviously not predator proof and I always lock them in the run before I go to bed.

 

[saysfaa]

"Does anyone keep their chickens outdoors in a predator proofed run at night with an open air coop that's not locked?​

Is this something that's even possible? If so, what kind of success or failures have you had with this time of setup?"​

What is your definition of run? And coop?
Mine might be considered a combination coop/run. It is sized to give both coop (4 sq ft per hen) and run (10 sq ft per hen). The south side open floor to roof and it has two big windows open from early spring to late fall on the east side. The open spaces are predator proofed with metal lath or hardware cloth.

A pittbull tried to get in the open side. She hit the mesh with her full strength and it didn't weaken. Although, we didn't let her keep trying - partly because she would have hurt herself.

A pair of coyotes raised their cubs under our neighbor's shed less than 100 ft away. Then moved to an old woodchuck hole even closer to the coop when the neighbor put a hardware cloth apron around her shed to keep them out. They didn't get my hens.

Oh. I see your answer about what you mean. Yes, it is easily possible. "Easily" as in easy to figure out what to do. And fairly easy, if a bit tedious, to actually do it. Prices of hardware cloth are up, like everything else. Prices of metal lath were less than hardware cloth when I bought it a year and a half ago. It has doubled in price.

The other way is an electric fence. I don't know all the details of that.

 

[KyCoop]

I kept my new 8 wk old babies in half of my run no coop, just a roost bar for a month back in June.
When we transitioned them to the coop, we were able to leave the coop door open in case things got crazy they could escape out of it. In fact we just started closing the coop door a couple of weeks ago.
We could only have done any of this as our run is preditor proof and covered with a solid roof.

 

[SourRoses]

The problem comes from the common idea that chickens need boxes to sleep in.

Chickens only require 3 things from their housing:
Protection from predators
Cover so they don't get wet/damp
Roosts so they feel high

Every other instruction about housing is to unravel, bit by bit, the idea that chickens need boxes:
Minimum dimensions = "Make box bigger"
Ventilation = "Open the box"
Run = "Let chickens out of the box"

And then there are the people things:
Nest boxes = "Don't want to pick eggs up off the floor"
Windows = "I can't see anything when I walk in"
and so on...

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes, that's what an open air coop is.

I'm on my phone right now, but will try to remember to post some links for you when I got back to my desktop.

I don't have a coop page for Neuchickenstein yet because I wanted it to function for a year before I wrote it up, but it's featured in my hot climate article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

Open Air Coops
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-positive-local-action-coop.72804/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/california-living.68130/

 

[janiedoe]

I'm asking if it's possible to predator proof a run enough where I could keep poultry in it overnight without locking them in a coop.

Yes. My coops are always open to the runs. As long as your run is secured they will be fine. I even raise chicks in a brooder inside the run.
By secure, I mean 16 or 19ga 1/2" hardware cloth over all openings. That means a covered top also.

 

[RainbowRabbits]

Yes, that's what an open air coop is.

I'm on my phone right now, but will try to remember to post some links for you when I got back to my desktop.

Oh thank you!! I thought a fresh air coop and an open air coop were the same thing.