Leaving coop door open at night?

[dunni003]

My coop/hen house is located within a secured, enclosed run. I close the door to the coop once all the chickens have retired for the night and obviously open it for them to access the enclosed run in the morning. Rinse and repeat.

I have generous neighbors who volunteer to take over this duty if I am away on vacation or gone for the weekend. However, I've had to ask this a lot lately so I am thinking about just leaving it open this upcoming weekend. Does anyone ever do this?

Let me reiterate that the coop is located in a secured enclosure. Complete with buried hardware cloth, etc. We haven't had any issues with predators thus far.

I know this can depend on a number of factors but just curious as to how many people have done this or do it on a regular basis.

I never leave my my coop door or run door open at night. Though I live in a very urban area, we still have a lot of wildlife. Raccoons are the worst - they are clever and persistent. I came home from walking the dogs one evening, and there was a raccoon clinging to the side of the chicken run. Last summer, a raccoon and her babies made off with all my pond goldfish. Unless you are very sure your coop is secure, don't do it!

 

[ValerieJ]

I never close my chickens in their coops at night. I don't think I have a secure run because it is in my orchard, so no way to cover it. I have only had one loss to an eagle because one of my RIRs liked to fly to the top of one of the apple trees and then proceed to give a long speech. None of the RIRs fly up into trees anymore. I think would be predators have plenty of prey available outside my chicken run so they are not tempted. In contrast, I have a neighbor who free ranges his chickens and regularly loses them to one predator or another. We have many here as we are surrounded by forest and water. Maybe I've just been lucky, but it seems like the trees and 5 ft fence are working.

 

[DanEP]

I have a covered run and a wire apron all around the run. Haven't closed the pop door in probably 5 years.

 

[Sea Wolf]

I have generous neighbors who volunteer to take over this duty if I am away on vacation or gone for the weekend. However, I've had to ask this a lot lately so I am thinking about just leaving it open this upcoming weekend. Does anyone ever do this?
I know this can depend on a number of factors but just curious as to how many people have done this or do it on a regular basis.

I have done this for over a few years now. No issues. Run is secure and, if I go away, someone comes to collect all the eggs daily and check on the feeder. I bought automatic waterer parts for a 5 gallon bucket and that works immensely well. They don't even have to check the water now. Just the feeder and they get to keep all the eggs.

 

[jgarner1327]

After reading all the replies, I've decided to leave the door to the run open on hot nights because the coop can get too warm. My run is very secure with 2x6 doug fir, four high, solid sides, and 1/2" hardware cloth on the roof. It's a bit scary. But I don't have any way a predator could get in unless they could lift a big door at the other end that has a cement block on it. Maybe I should put a lock on that door too.

 

[Unobtanium]

My coop/hen house is located within a secured, enclosed run. I close the door to the coop once all the chickens have retired for the night and obviously open it for them to access the enclosed run in the morning. Rinse and repeat.

I have generous neighbors who volunteer to take over this duty if I am away on vacation or gone for the weekend. However, I've had to ask this a lot lately so I am thinking about just leaving it open this upcoming weekend. Does anyone ever do this?

Let me reiterate that the coop is located in a secured enclosure. Complete with buried hardware cloth, etc. We haven't had any issues with predators thus far.

I know this can depend on a number of factors but just curious as to how many people have done this or do it on a regular basis.

I leave my entire coop open st night, and have for months. I also have a very well trained dog that skeeps either in it

or beside it. Something to consider.

 

[marina hernandez]

Im new of having chicken on the city, my hems are almost 4 months, and at the beginning i was closing the door every night, and open normally around 6: 30 or 7am, but notice a lot of fedders inside, so i think they were stressed, and decide to live the door always open, and is working just fine, even with the tube pipe of automatic feeder, and 5 gal of water; the las weekend my husband and i go for 2 days, and no need help, they were just fine.

 

[Kluk-Kluk]

I splurged and bought an automatic chicken coop door opener/closer. It's on a timer. Never have to run home when it's dark to close the door or get up extra early to let the chickens out. After getting the automatic door, my husband built a (we think) secure run with fencing on top, sides, and bottom of the run, bird netting over that, and hardware cloth inside the coop. Even though the run is supposedly secure, I love having that automatic door!

 

[ctbuettner]

My coop/hen house is located within a secured, enclosed run. I close the door to the coop once all the chickens have retired for the night and obviously open it for them to access the enclosed run in the morning. Rinse and repeat.

I have generous neighbors who volunteer to take over this duty if I am away on vacation or gone for the weekend. However, I've had to ask this a lot lately so I am thinking about just leaving it open this upcoming weekend. Does anyone ever do this?

Let me reiterate that the coop is located in a secured enclosure. Complete with buried hardware cloth, etc. We haven't had any issues with predators thus far.

I know this can depend on a number of factors but just curious as to how many people have done this or do it on a regular basis.

 

[ctbuettner]

We have a similar situation & leave ours open unless we want to sleep in.Then I shut the girls & Frankie ( rooster) in so everyone can sleep in!