Leave the coop door open at night???

[Chics rule]

OK soooo glad I asked!!! I do worry about them as soon as I get up...my husband can't stand it! I will for sure be taking the time to lock them up each night!!!! THANK YOU!

I am glad you asked the question! I have the same concerns. I will be moving my girls to the coop this weekend and have hardware clothe all the way up but for 8 " from top and out on the ground about 9" with heavy rock over it for dig-ins; it has a cover over the run, and... hot wire fencing around the whole thing. I have placed food inside the run for 2 weeks to see if can be breached and where the weaknesses are. So far nothing has penetrated the security. I see raccoons and possums coming from that direction all the time and I am hoping they are leaving because they got zapped lol. I am still going to keep the door shut at night though and am also thinking about maybe getting an automatic door opener so I can leave for a long weekend or the occasional weekend sleep in.

 

[Reggan]

We love our automatic doors! So do the chooks!

 

[turkey girl 0964]

I cannot sleep now if I have not closed the pop door!

Same here!

 

[turkey girl 0964]

I have my door open 24/7 in my layers coop because it is 100% fenced in we even buried 1/2 gauge wire around the whole coop. These girls are perfectly content with living in there and not getting to free range like the other girls, they can't because the door to their coop is built in side of our garden. In our other coop it has more of an open floor plan so the isn't really a true ''run'' but I let them out to free range our property every day (sometimes not if they get into my garden the day before I don't know how they can fly over a 4ft door). I always close ALL the door before I go inside for dinner, we have had a few incidences where the door got left open and the layers got into my garden.... I was so mad at myself but kind of glad that they didn't get killed soooo, yeah.

 

[catballou]

I have eight 7 week old chicks that are outside in a coop and have been weaned from the heat lamp. I have a nightlight that's on at night and their coop is open to a chainlink and chicken wire run that is completely covered. I'm struggling with leaving the door open at night or keeping it closed. So far I go out every night before it gets dark and close it and then open once I get up and around in the morning. They come running out first thing and I'm sure they've been up and around for a good hour or two already. Do you think it would be okay to leave the door from the coop to the run open all night? We are out in the country and I'm nervous that the small amount of light might attract critters.....

Thanks!!!

Never, ever, ever leave it open at night.