Leaving the coop door open or closed at night?

Birds Bitten
If you find dead or wounded birds that have been bitten, they may have been attacked by a dog. If they are young birds and the bites are around the hock, suspect a rat. If the bites are on the leg or breast, the biter is likely an opposum. ‘Possums like tender growing birds and will sneak up to the roost while fryers are sleeping and bite a chunk out of a breast or thigh. On the rare occasion a ‘possum kills a chicken, it usually eats it on the spot.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=18670
 
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Not trying to answer for City Chicken Lady....but yes oppossums eat full grown chickens. Chickens are defenseless at night, and are easy prey . I have caught them in my old coop eating a full grown chicken.
 
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I would rather close the door and have nothing happen,
than to say "if only...."
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I feel our run is secure, but I shut the door to the coop every night. Any extra protection I can give them at night, when it seems most predators are on the hunt, I will give them.
 
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no such thing as an area with no predators. There are even coyotes in downtown Columbus OH and in central park. Raccoons are in pretty much every urban neighborhood, even if you don't see them. Add in domestic dogs and thieving humans and, well you get the idea
 
Man, isn't that the truth dainerra..! I don't care where you live on this planet,there is always a predator to eat your chicken...! Just because you aren't aware of the fact or have not seen them, they are there..! I would never, never leave my coop door open, no run is perfectly secured, imo...
 
I also always close my coop. If nothing other than a snake would be getting in, I won't risk it. You know the story about the snake suffocating the hen by putting her head in its mouth, right?
 
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I would rather close the door and have nothing happen,
than to say "if only...."
hit.gif


Me too. The coop door gets closed and locked each night at sundown. We leave their windows open, depending on how cold or warm it is, but they are very predator proof windows. My husband made sure of that.
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