Is it necessary to open and close the coop door in a penned environment?

[jpowers5882]

Thanks to all for your input on this.
My run is welded wire mesh as well. I think I will keep the coop door open, but I will watch the pen perimeter for evidence of predators, just in case.
I love the idea of the automatic coop door, but some of my hens sleep with their heads poked out the door. Wondering what would happen when the door starts to close. Hopefully they get the hint

Thanks again for all the input!

Regards, Jim P

 

[Adenium]

This is where the game cameras become so useful - we plan to have hardware cloth around, under, and on top of our run. Whether we leave the coop door open may depend on what my newly purchased camera shows prowling around the coop.

 

[GoChick]

I put a game camera up before we built the coop and got all kinds of predators - foxes, raccoons, coyotes, so we knew we had to build it predator proof.
We then built the run with 1/4 hardware cloth, 3 ft apron, covered. Coop attached. We don't close the coop door, the girls/boy come in and out by themselves. No predator has been able to get in. The only time we lost a chicken was to a coyote, during the day, with me and the dogs nearby - my rifle was not close... darn.

I have webcams in the run and in the coop, a trailcam nearby and am about to set up a motion detector so I can get the coyote who is coming too close for comfort... (overkill, I know, but that's what you get when you mix an engineer with a chicken farmer

 

[mstricer]

You don't leave your feed out there do you? I leave my pop door open. But I still have to go out to feed at 5am. So it wouldn't mater whether or not for me, I still have to go out at dusk and dawn to feed.

 

[Gargoyle]

I thought my run was secure, it's covered, chain link, metal sheeting the bottom 2 feet, cement floor. Last fall a raccoon hung under the soffit and unraveled some chicken wire and massacred my birds. I replaced all the chicken wire with 1/2 hardware cloth, and secured any other weak spot I could find, but I still lock my new chicks safely in the coop at night. Raccoons can pick locks and find other ways to work themselves in.

 

[brandislee]

If your run is secure, as in hardware cloth, no gaps, no loose staples, completely covered top, skirt, etc how is that any less secure than a coop? I mean, if racoons can pick locks and run latches (I know they can) how are they any more secure in the coop?

I actually used to shut the door every night, then I got an automatic door. It's awesome. BUT when I cleaned the coop for the spring, took out the water warmer, the heat lamps, etc, I forgot to plug the door back in... that was about three weeks ago, and I didn't realize it until last night! Obviously I didn't have any problems, lol! Here I think we have a really light predator load. The only things I've seen any sign of are stray dogs and hawks. Since I have the door, I'll plug it back in just to give myself some peace of mind. But if you feel your run is secure (no digging underneath, no chicken wire at all, no place a racoon could unravel or pull opened) I don't see why you couldn't just leave it open.

 

[jeepguy982001]

This has been a very interesting thread to read. I just ordered a auto door from froys. They are expensive and my run is pretty secure at the moment. But i want to expand the run and thought about the cost of welded wire and such. Plus i never really paid attention in late spring and summer i'm usually home at dusk to lock the coop. But in late fall and winter i'm usually not home to close it around 5:30-6:00. Really its up to you to determine how much your willing to risk/do. It all comes down to bullet-proof run=expensive, Autodoors=still expensive, or the cheapest shutting the door yourself. Anyway just my 2 cents.

 

[bobbi-j]

I've had my coop and attached run for a year. We close the door to the run at night, but leave the pop door open so they can let themselves out in the morning. We let them out of the run when we get out there. DH has his shop/office by the chicken coop, so he usually lets them out when he goes down to work. No problems yet. My run is pretty secure - 2x4 welded wire with 1/4" hardware cloth around the bottom 24", and an apron. I also have the welded wire on the top of the run. The only thing that I know for sure could get in would be a weasel and possibly a mink. We do have them in the area, and in years past have had issues with them at one time or another, but it's a chance I take. I can't afford to enclose the whole thing with the hardware cloth.

 

[7L Farm]

My coop is three sided I have no pop door.