Locking chickens in coop vs leaving access to run?

[Gizabelle]

We too have a very secure coop and run. The side of the run has a pop door to a fenced area. I close the side door every night. The pop dot I leave open. Why? I don't want to have to get up to key then out. I have a light in the run that comes on at 4:15. It is enough light to wake them. They started laying again. The run had never had a critter and the risk seems worth it... fingers crossed.

Love your coop sign!

 

[aart]

We have a chicken size door between the coop and run.

Nice!! Love that huge roof!

 

[Missbc]

Nice!! Love that huge roof!

Thanks! It’s 32’ long and 14’ deep, so actually huge

 

[wolfinator]

Since the photos gave error message, I reposted my reply with the photos below.

 

[aart]

Please let me know if the photos cant be viewed. I got an error when I tried.

Nope, I get error message too.

 

[NewBoots]

I'd love to see the umbrella eyes too if possible.

 

[wolfinator]

I leave mine open 24/7. Often times they are out and about when I get down there. It gives them more fresh air, more space, and more exercise, all good things. However, predators are going to be testing your set up just to make sure it is fort Knox, and more than once, have they succeeded on me.

But I fix it back up, do a little trapping, and try again.

Mrs K

Let's try this again on posting with photos.
I leave mine open too 24/7. The only time I've closed them in was when we had 40+ mph winds and negative 20 degree windchill temperatures overnight last week. I lost my 4 yr old crossbeak Showgirl that night, RIP Little One. Mine have a doggy door that they all use. I currently only have a 4ft high fenced area around their coop. We do have woods behind and beside us and thus far have only had a few mice come in the fence - rooster killed one, saw tracks in snow of another few days later. And oddly, a peacock landed in the fenced area as the new coop was getting finished - we had moved all my chickens and ducks into it already. My 7 standard and 1 banty roosters quickly greeted him and he couldn't leave fast enough. The peacock and a peahen did stick around outside the fence for nearly an hour afterwards. I've only had current set up since mid-November but my previous setup consisted of 6 coops in 3 fully fenced pens with netting overhead. I had multiple critters try to get in them - none did except for a few mice, most bigger critters were shot as they tried. We had animal control take away an unfamiliar dog that tried - didn't shoot at it, came to us when we yelled at it. I usually don't have a problem with hawks since I took an old patio umbrella and painted a large pair of eyes on it and placed it in the area. When I can get a few warm dry days I'm having a pair of eyes painted on their coop roof to further deter hawks.

My new coop set up. A custom built split 18x10x8 building (12×10 coop, 6×10 storage)
Buildings in background were some of my original coops.

My original coops. The middle and right had green netting overhead. The umbrella only shows one of the eyes (blue oval) - zoom in.

 

[wolfinator]

Nope, I get error message too.

I reposted with viewable photos.

 

[wolfinator]

I'd love to see the umbrella eyes too if possible.

I reposted with viewable photos, zoom in on second photo, it shows one of the eyes.

 

[spiritpots]

My attached run is covered and very predator-proof (hardware cloth everywhere including buried around entire run and coop, metal roof, double locked doors) so I leave the pop door open over night. It also has a double lock I can use if needed but the only time I close it is if it gets below -5 or so or if we're having a storm. Keeping it open provides more ventilation and allows the girls to come and go as they like.