Newbie question about locking the coop up at night...

[chickensioux]

I would. Every night. You can't take back a tragedy.

 

[darkroo]

This is a question I've wondered about quite a bit, i live in a city and the open places are few and far between. My biggest concern was with cats. When I had baby roos I watched two of them face off with a stray cat. And now that I only have girls the wife watched them run the inside and outside cat back into the house. The cat is a really small but has lived outside for a long time. Am I just gambling on loosing one of my girls?

 

[flakey chick]

I think its also good to keep them feeling more secure. Even a predator that can't get in the run can scare your chickens to death as they try to flee (Just ask Horsejody if you doubt). I think they would be less likely to hurt themselves if they couldn't see what's outside.

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

Please remember chickens cannot see very well at night, so why put them through that trauma. In the coop all safe and secure will make them feel better. I just think what it would be like for me to be blind and my DH making me sleep outside and not being able to see, I WOULD FREAK. And happy chickens make happy layers !

 

[chickensioux]

 

[cobrien]

Quote:
I have city chickens, too and our biggest predator problem by far is raccoons, second is loose dogs (one of our fences is only 5' tall and it could be jumped over), third is opposums and fourth birds of prey. If you have any of these animals around, and I can't imagine that you don't at least have raccoons, you are gambling on losing them if your coop isn't very VERY secure.

Most cats won't bother with chickens but it is possible. I've had cats around my chickens for decades and have never lost one to a cat but it depends on the cat and on the chicken.

 

[Ghostchick]

Better safe than sorry!!!

 

[thndrdancr]

I THOUGHT my run was at least 98% predator proof, has hardware cloth, with 2 foot flange with rock, etc all around to prevent digging under, is covered, etc.

Well I DO lock them in the coop, luckily, I have some animal as yet to be identified that dug UNDER the coop, made a 12 foot tunnel UNDER my coop structure INTO the pen. The only place I didnt put the two foot down to prevent digging was from the coop to the pen considering they are attached.

So yea, if I didnt lock my girls in, I have no doubt I would have lost them.

And now I keep my pen locked up from the girls til I get this critter figured out and caught or deterred, they are unhappy as its nice coverage when raining and its been raining BUCKETS the last five days.

 

[dixiechick]

Quote:
Being from Florida, I don't have a separate building to lock them up (too blessed hot). I lock the run door and turn on the electric fence. I have had chickens for years, and nothing gets past the zapper!

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

People would be very surprised what wildlife will do when hungry or feeding their young. A few years ago we set up 4 test pens/coups. We observed a bobcat jump and clear a 10' run to land inside. This was after he was zapped with 4000 volts. We tried different fencers and it took about 8000 volts to make him hi-tail it and run. I haven't seen him or any other since then. Just a couple of years ago, a coon peeled the plywood off the corner of the house to get into the attic to raise her young.

Wildlife will find a way if there's a way. For those with electric fences, remember that animals tend to have a thicker coat in the winter. A fencer that is quite effective in the summer, may not even be a deterrent in the wintertime. Some say I am overboard with the fencer voltages that I run, however the smaller fencers can lead to a false sense of security with what I've seen. I have to do what is right in my heart to protect the very animals that I accept responsibility for. As long as the fencer is UL approved, it is quite safe for human, livestock, and is fire safety approved.(provided it is correctly installed) Just last week I was reading in the news that all 100 counties of N.C. now have coyotes. I hope I never see one of these.