Opening and closing the door

[balingmomma88]

My girls seem to make their way up into the coop almost an hour before sunset. After it gets dark I go out and close it and always have. But in the morning I don't get up until a few hours after sunrise. Is it bad to keep them in the cool after sunrise or should the door be opened right at sunrise?

 

[MoonShadows]

They like to go out early, but it is not a necessity. You might want to look into an automatic door that runs on a timer or is solar activated.

Jim

 

[PapaChaz]

simple answer is, no it's not bad. I'm sure by the time you get out there they're more than ready to come out, but lots of people do it the same way you do

 

[balingmomma88]

Thanks guys! I'm going to invest an the automatic one when winter comes. Right now my daughter goes out and opens the coop and she loves it!

 

[JanetS]

That's why I bought a pullet-shut automatic pop door. They're pricey but worth it to me. My chickens were really loud until they were let out. If your chickens are quiet and happy, I wouldn't worry about it. Enjoy!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Where it has the potential to become an issue is when the hours of daylight are shorter and those extra few hours of exposure to sunlight every day could be the difference in your egg production....during the long days, you can afford to lose a few hours of sunlight without dipping below the amount needed to stimulate production.

 

[aart]

As long as there's some good windows for light and lots of room for how ever many chickens you have, it shouldn't be a problem.
If you free range it's better to leave them inside until the sun is well up as many predators hunt near dawn/sunrise.