Does the coop need a door that closes to keep the Chicken's inside of their house?

[jimmywalt]

I'm totally new to raising Chickens. We started yesterday with 3 ISA Browns chicks. I purchased this coop today but it doesn't have a door that closes to keep the chickens in the coop. I see that a lot of coops do have doors that people must close.
You can see where they walk up the ramp to get into the coop, but there isn't a door over that (approx.) 12" x 12" opening.
What is the purpose of the door and is it needed or not?
We live in Michigan where winter nights get to 10 degrees.

Thank you for your help!


Here's the door opening on my actual coop

 

[TexasChickenUnv]

The doors are not just for weather but to keep out predators.

After a coon got through our wire and killed all 9 of our hens(only the roo survived), we've locked them inside every night. We are in a suburb but lots of natural park/open space nearby, so we are susceptible to raccoons, skunks, and hawks.

 

[CluckAcres]

I would put a door on it as well. Just for better protection.

 

[SA Farm]

It looks like the pen itself is fenced in, so I wouldn't worry about it unless it gets below -5.

 

[missnu01]

You should put a door on it, wouldn't be hard or costly to make one...There are times that you will just wish you had a door there and that it was closed for one reason or another...so may as well have it there and close it at night, and never have really needed to, than needed to close them in and were not able...
Our coop is on the second floor of a building that was already on the property, and you have to go upstairs and through a door to get up there. A few feet behind the building is a large bank that reaches to the top floor and there is a small door that looks out into the space behind between the bank and the back of the building, I don't know why it is there, but through that door I push my ramp out in the mornings...so the chickens use the ramp to go across the empty space and are let out onto the upper part of the bank. Anyway I forget to close the door at the top of the stairs sometimes...so anything that can get up the stairs can get to the chickens if it goes through the garage and ventures up the stairs...then again the chickens sleep in the rafters, so hopefully nothing bad will happen...but it could and I need to do better.

 

[debid]

Honestly, I'm looking at the hardware cloth run and I don't think I'd worry about a door unless you've placed the coop where icy winter winds will blow in.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

If there is hardware cloth on the floor of the run, then you're probably okay to not have it shut providing wind and rain won't blow into the open door. I personally prefer to shut my coop due to both weather and predators.

That picture is deceiving as it looks like the door cover should slide from left to right to cover the pop door. Maybe you could fashion something like that if you decide you want a door.

 

[jimmywalt]

I think I'll try to figure out how to make a door as most people suggested. Something that I can slide over the opening to the coop and won't open too easy.

Do the Chickens just go into the house at dusk by themselves or do you have to herd them into there?

 

[Winterose]

i enlarged the pic and it really does look like there should be a door there already. are you sure it didnt have a door? i would call the company and ask

maybe someone there forgot to put it on when building it, or if they just sent u the parts forgot to put the part in the box

 

[Trefoil]

I think those coops are too small to lock the chickens inside. I would either put a hardware cloth floor in or an apron around the perimeter to insure the predators stay out instead.