House in enclosed run - who doesn't shut coop door at night

[saltdean norm]

Morning all

Does anyone not shut the door to their coop overnight?

Our coop is in a fairly secure covered run as shown in this picture. The wire is too thick (i think) for foxes to bite through and it is dug down into the ground to stop them digging in.

I currently shut them in everynight but need to spend the night away next week so was toying with leaving it open for a night.

Who else does this, or forgets to shut the coop every now and again.

As previously mentioned the run is pretty secure.

Thanks for any advice and help offered.

Norm
UK

 

[Kansaseq]

I have two coops. The larger one butts up to a large chain link run, covered in hardware cloth. I leave this coop door open 24/7, unless it's super cold.
My second coop also butts up to a chain link run, but it has no top yet. I have to lock these guys up if I'll be gone after dark. Forgot to do it one night and was visited by a raccoon who injured 2 of my birds.

 

[featherz]

I have two coops also. One my husband refers to as my 'battery coop' or 'fort knox'.

Those chickens are encased top to bottom in hardware wire - I leave the pop door open 24x7 as the run is as secure as it's going to get. The other is our free range chicken/guinea coop which has an open top run so the guineas can fly out - that one I have to shut each night so we're getting an automatic motor for it.

 

[oldchickenlady]

I leave my pop door open all the time because I have a totally enclosed pvc pipe hoop run covered in 1x2 welded wire. There is a 16" apron of wire all around it staked down with tent stakes. Between the rocks, tree roots and that wire, only a bear could get in there!

 

[joebryant]

Why would you close the door... ain't nuttin gonna get into THAT Fort Knox.
See My BYC Page. My run is practially the same as yours with two coops attached to it. I NEVER close my pop doors during warm weather; however, during winter I close the pop doors to keep out cold drafts and strong winds at night.

 

[LilChickCoop]

I leave my coop door open

That is what my coop looks like- it is all encased in hardware cloth

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

It seems to be the rule that if your run is secure you can keep the coop open, if not, lock it up.

My run is inclosed but I wouldn't call it fort knox so I close my chickens in.

 

[turbokev]

Our coop itself is inside an enclosed run, so it stays open 24/7

The big people door on the run stays open from sunrise till dusk when the chickens
put themselves in.. they free range all day as long as we are home.. If we are going to be gone
for the day or overnight, the people door stays shut.

.

 

[BankerJohn]

My pen is an all inclusive resort for chickens that features open air with plenty of ventilation, sand flooring, weather proof roofing panels on part along with roost bars and custom nest boxes made out of 5 gallon buckets laying on their sides. All resort fees include unlimited fresh water thanks to chicken nipples on a gravity fed system with 10 day supply along with a buffet bucket of layer pellets that will last 2 weeks between refills.

 

[emmak]

We have an enclosed run that goes to the coop, but I still close it up every night. I wouldn't want the guilt if they were hurt because I didn't go shut the door.