I'm brand new to chickens, but me and my spouse are getting serious about having a few hens in our backyard. Right now I'm looking into getting a chicken tractor from someone in the neighborhood who builds them, and then I guess it's a matter of finding 3-4 laying hens. (I guess I'd like to start with grown chickens rather than raising them from little babies, at least for my first ones.) I've got a large backyard with a waist-high fence, so I'm imagining letting them roam around most days. Possibly with wings clipped, as the neighbor next to us has a dog. My neighborhood definitely has wildlife, including foxes and raccoons. How necessary is it to be at home to shut the coop at sunset? Can this be fudged a little, or do I want to get an automatic door for the henhouse ASAP?
Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined. I'm not always out there right when they go to roost but I don't waste time getting the door closed ASAP. And it's very rarely more than 1 hour after they go to roost. BUT, my coop is also enclosed within an electrified poultry net. I just don't want to take any chances.
Welcome Nice to have you here! I don’t have automatic pop door but I have a fully enclosed (with solid roof) run attached to the coop and if I know I am not going to be home by dusk I either put the chickens in the run and close the pop door as soon as I can or I ask someone to help.... Automatic door would be my go to if that would happen regularly
Howdy and Welcome to Backyard Chickens. Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC! Thanks for joining our community!
Welcome to BackYardChickens! So glad to have you here in our wonderful community of friendly, helpful, knowledgeable people!
I believe that if you make your coop AND run absolutely 'Fort Knox' as far as protection, you can let the door stay open. I've seen folks post here that they have REALLY SECURE protection for the run and coop and don't worry about having to close the coop door then. BUT if you intend to do that, DO read several articles here about how much protection you'll need, and what sorts.