Electric fence and coop open at night?

[Garden Gal]

Our chicken yard is complete with the exception of the electric fence which we have begun but not completed. The bottom of the fence is galvanized hardware cloth, and extends 2' out on the ground. The top portion is galvanized poultry wire. The top of the run is covered with bird netting but will eventually be switched to one of the wire products. Our chickens go in the coop by themselves at night, but all CRAM at the door opening - I'm assuming they like the fresh air, etc... So far I've been locking the chicken door at night even though they fuss like crazy - obviously preferring the door open. ONCE the double strand of electric fence is up around the entire perimeter of the fenced yard, is it okay to leave their door open or am I just courting disaster?

 

[chickencoop31320]

Quote:
courting disaster

Maybe I'm over protective -BUT- I lock mine up every night --- Snug as a bug in their coop.
I'm to attached to them and afraid of even the off chance they will be EATEN by something.
Sure, sometimes I'm tired of chasing the young ones around the run (they haven't learned the art of "self-cooping" yet like the older ones have) but, I just imagine my pretty little babies being ripped apart by a fox or raccoon and I'm out the door to lock them up every night.

Better safe than sorry - Right?

 

[vnploveschickens]

I think its better to be safe than sorry. Lock up your chickens.

Does your coop have good ventilation? Does it have a window that is covered with poultry hard wire that you could leave open just a bit?

 

[Garden Gal]

Thanks guys - I'll continue to lock them up and tell them to "deal with it". Fortunately, the coop has great ventilation - four windows with hardware cloth screens which allow the windows to be fully opened. It is also insulated so not overly warm - just a typical summer in steamy Virginia! I'm with you - I'd much rather be safe than sorry, but wasn't sure if the e-fence allowed for a bit of breathing room. I DID wonder however, if raccoons would take a flying leap off near by trees and pull down the bird netting, so safe it IS!

 

[Buster52]

I have a door opening that is wired with chicken wire so my birds can have ventilation at night. It's a secondary door, so I board it up in cold weather. Might be a good compromise.

 

[DonnaBelle]

I agree with everyone else, lock them in at night. My hen house has two large windows with hardware cloth over them, but I worry about something large getting in, so I crack them at night and leave a fan going for ventilation. If we were doing it again, we'd put smaller windows, more of them, up high.
We have lots of predators here, but so far so good.

DonnaBelle

 

[Garden Gal]

Quote:
Now THIS might earn me more points with the chicks than "Get over it!"

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Quote:
Now THIS might earn me more points with the chicks than "Get over it!"

Maybe not unless the chicken wire is replaced real quick with hardware cloth or something lots stronger.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
Now THIS might earn me more points with the chicks than "Get over it!"

Maybe not unless the chicken wire is replaced real quick with hardware cloth or something lots stronger.

Not an issue so far.

 

[chickensioux]

I have an electric fence and I still lock mine up tight.