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

[Vicker]

My coop has solid sides with only expanded metal across the front and the top half of the back. I have a small door near the ground and another door big enough for me to walk through. When we go away, I leave the small door open just wide enough for the birds to squeeze through. That limits something like a bobcat or coyote but not a possum or skunk. A predator hasn't gone in . . . yet.

 

[dirkandlorie]

I converted a metal carport to a chicken home. It's basically a metal top enclosed in wire. The door does not have a lock but does have a latch. I use wire/rock apron and electric wire to keep predators away. I live in southern US with relatively mild winters though we can get down to 20F with lots of wind so I do add tarps to reduce the wind.View attachment 3294184

I love this!!

 

[raingarden]

These kind of carports used to be cheap. It was installed for 599.00 way back when and has held up well. Tell your sister carports can be moved.

The carport canopy tents are still cheap. You have a tarp roof instead of a metal roof but the replacement tarps are cheap too. The expensive part is still the wire.

 

[3KillerBs]

The carport canopy tents are still cheap. You have a tarp roof instead of a metal roof but the replacement tarps are cheap too. The expensive part is still the wire.

I have a tarp roof on Camp Cockerel, but I know that I'm at risk of having a raccoon rip it off and enjoy a feast.

I don't know if an owl *would* go throught it, but I'm fairly sure that one *could*.

 

[Silexian]

I have covered runs. Unless it is extremely cold. My chickens roost in the runs. I have the roost low enough so they can have good air circulation. Yet high enough to shelter them from all, but hard blowing rain.

 

[calboy147]

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

It is entirely possible. I never intended to do it that way but my rooster decided he would only roost in the 4' wide doorway. So it has been open for about four years now 24/7, 360

 

[lori_smith99]

We do an open air coop within a coop. We have a smaller run that is boarded half way with the open and a coop and boxes and food/dust area and then that opens into the big open run (has a closed door) with the chicken condo the hubby built and some roosts and tires for dust bath and such and food and water as well.

 

[RainbowRabbits]

We do an open air coop within a coop. We have a smaller run that is boarded half way with the open and a coop and boxes and food/dust area and then that opens into the big open run (has a closed door) with the chicken condo the hubby built and some roosts and tires for dust bath and such and food and water as well.

I was looking at one of those large outdoor runs (looks similar to your large metal screen) but it looked like it needed to be surrounded with hardwire cloth to make it predator proof. Did you do this with yours? If not, have you has any problems with predators?

 

[Ted Brown]

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

Entirely possible.

I have an elevated Woods 10 x 16 KD coop adjacent to a metal roof covered 12' by 15' run enclosed with 1/2 HC. Coop elevation is 3+ feet off the ground and again is enclosed by 1/2 HC so close to 400 sq ft of run space. Pop door is open 24/7.

In the winter I use clear plastic to close off most of the southern facing front of the run and white tarps along the north side; I use brown wood pile tarps to close off most of the elevated run space. The main run space is part of a 36' by 12' metal roofed pole shed so the western side of the run is protected from rain and snow and remains untarped.

This setup works as expected - my flock is able and do use both the run and coop year round as needed (food/water is in the coop), although they spend the majority of the day in the run area.

In three years I have had one failure - this past summer a raccoon discovered a weak HC seam on a corner and I lost 3 hens before I found the point of entry. Entirely my fault as I was not careful enough during the build.

I do worry about deterioration of the HC aprons so I inspect annually and will replace at year 5 or before if needed.

 

[lori_smith99]

I was looking at one of those large outdoor runs (looks similar to your large metal screen) but it looked like it needed to be surrounded with hardwire cloth to make it predator proof. Did you do this with yours? If not, have you has any problems with predators?

We did not do hardwire screen we boarded up the bottom about half way up on the smaller coop where they sleep at night and left the open run (the bigger one) completely open for free grazing during the day. We have only had 1 instance with a predator prior to the boarding up of the one coop and since then we have been fine. *knocks on wood*