Leave the pop door open at night?

[MrsHedgehog]

Background: I'm a newbie with my five 12-week old girls (1 RIR, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Golden Comet, 1 Silver laced Wyandotte and 1 Ameraucana). They are housed in a 6' x 10' fully-covered coop-run combo - the coop is about 6' x 6' and is elevated about 2' so there is run space under it. Beneath the 4" of sand in the run are 1" thick pavers that extend 12" beyond the perimeter of the run. Hubby, who as a teenager raised free-range meat birds in an ancient bank barn in northern Vermont calls this thing the Fort Knox of chicken coops. I think my girls are pretty darn smart because since their second night in their big-girl housing they have put themselves to roost all by themselves at dusk; my husband or I have gone out just before bed to close the pop door after they are all settled. (I also tend to sing them a verse of "Good Night, Ladies," but that might be the subject of a different post <grin>). Their feeder and a big waterer are in the run and I have a small waterer but no food in the "upstairs" right now.

Problem/questions: We are renal nurses and our day starts at 3:30 AM. With daylight hours now at their longest it has been a struggle to wait up to close the pop door and last night we lost the battle. I woke up about 11 PM mildly concerned about the girls but felt confident they were safe from predators and I went back to sleep. There was a little daylight as hubby left for work and he noted that all 5 girls were safely drowsing on the roost bar or were sleepily contemplating venturing into the run. This afternoon when I got home from work they were in their siesta formation under the coop. Clearly, they suffered no harm. Now the worry wort in me has me wondering if habitually leaving open the pop door will cause any behavior problem as the girls begin to lay. Right now I have the nest boxes, which jut off the "upstairs" opposite the roost bars, blocked off but I plan to open them in a few weeks and put some fake eggs in them as per suggestions I have read elsewhere on BYC. If we keep the pop door open all summer will they stop going into the coop at night? I would rather they not learn to lay eggs in the run. What if we manage to close the door most nights, but maybe once or twice a week let it stay open? Should I install a feeder in the coop now (I was waiting til winter was closer, when they may have to spend a lot more time in the coop, but I guess no time like the present)? Any other ideas to maintain the roosting habits they already have and to instill appropriate nest box use when the time comes?

 

[nab58]

I don't close my pop door anymore because I didn't like having to remember to open it in the morning. Of course, I closed it for the first year so I don't know if that's the reason why mine all lay in their nest boxes and sleep in the coop at night. It's either habit or just what they prefer.

Your other alternative would be to get an automatic door opener with a timer.

 

[Mrs. K]

I never close mine unless a blizzard, if you want to feel noble, tell yourself, it makes better ventilation in the coop wihich is healthier for the chickens, which is much more noble than I just need to sleep a little longer! (both might have the the distinction of being strictly true!)

 

[Percheron chick]

I keep it open all the time unless snow is blowing in. I have a chain link run and a very good dog. With your crazy work schedule, just go buy an automatic pop door.

 

[chiques chicks]

Haven't closed mine in two years, blizzard or not. All feed and water is outside only.

 

[0die]

I don't even have a pop door...

6x12 coop/run combo....I open the main door and let them range the fenced backyard all day while I'm at work and close the main door at night.

I might add an automatic pop door later for extra security or for time when I don't return until way after dark...

 

[MrsHedgehog]

Thanks, all. It also makes me feel better, too, about when the days get short again and we are both off to work long before it's remotely daylight. I was thinking we might have to pay a school kid to open the door on work days; then I'd obsessively worry all shift if s/he remembered to do it, if s/he secured the "people door," etc. I have heard of automatic pop doors but wonder if a chicken could get locked out. I have to think/read about that one some more. We don't have electricity to the coop (although come winter we will probably need to run an extension cord from the nearby garage to have a bucket heater for the waterer). I guess door timers might also run on batteries, but I have had bad luck with batteries when we get that January/February "polar vortex).
Chiques chicks - good to hear from someone in the same climate zone

Love the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The coop, BTW, is Amish made.

Percheron chick (adorable foal in your profile pic, BTW

hubby loves dem drafties), the way the coop/run is set it's unlikely to get snow in the coop via the pop door, especially since MD is known more for sleet/ice storms or wet, heavy, gloppy snow than deep, fluffy, drifting snow.

Mrs. K, I hear ya about ventilation. The coop has a long, high, narrow vent over the roost bars and a pair of big, lovely windows opposite that (over the nest boxes). I have had to keep the windows half-down because almost daily quick, heavy rain storms have seemed to come from the direction they face. I have been contemplating making a vent high above the pop door since that would put it under the peak of the run roof and, therefore, allow good, dry ventilation in the wettest weather. Maybe leaving the pop door open will be ventilation enough. Hm...

Nab58, good to know your girls lay in the nest boxes even with the pop door open. I think we will try to close the pop door at night as much as possible this first year but on those nights where we just crash before dark we'll let it slide, guilt-free.

 

[chiques chicks]

I'll add I also don't close windows, provide heat or light. My flock survives. I want a flock I can avoid work caring for. I have Swedish flower hens, orpingtons and a few EE. I've lost one or two due to weather over 4 years.
It's also open top run not predator proof and nestled on the edge of woods and farmland.