My chicks are only a few days old BUT

[redstars]

Lock em up. They will thank you for it.

 

[teach1rusl]

My door is on a timer now. But before that, I always shut my pop door. It didn't/doesn't have a lock, but it slides down into a channel. Even though my pop door is on a timer now, I STILL go out every night to do a quick head count and make sure everyone is in and settled. And every morning, I check to make sure the door has opened and do my morning cleaning. My covered run door is locked as well. My hens are my babies, and I don't want to take the risk of something getting them in the wee hours.
An auto. door may be something you'd want to consider. If you are considering not closing/locking the pop door, please insure that your run is covered and very secure (not with chicken wire, but something quite sturdy). It's not as secure as their actual housing being locked up, but it'll help.

 

[chicktwit]

Lock em up pls, pls, pls. Coyotes, skunks, raccoons, possums, house cats, bobcats, hawks, dogs, a snake will kill a quail not knowing it's too big to eat, the list goes on and on. You're right to be concerned.

 

[Buzzy]

There's nothing as depressing as going out in the morning and finding a pile of feathers. If your coop is close to your house you hear them scream in terror in the middle of the night, and even if you run out naked you're too late. Just figure there's a HUGE SIGN OVER YOUR COOP IN PREDATOR LANGUAGE: EAT HERE! EAT HERE!

Tony Hillerman titled a book, Coyote Waits,, a saying of the Navajo people, basically meaning that you can go about your daily activities but coyote is always out there waiting, waiting for his chance.

An unlocked coop door is a helluva chance.

Lock em up, anyway it gives you a chance to stand in the coop and have some quality time. It's kind of nice as they're wiggling around trying one perch or another and gently quarreling about precedence, to just stand there and talk over the events of the day. It's also a good way to mellow a rooster - the more time you spend with them the less jittery they are.