Our run is going to be completely enclosed

[Momagain1]

with hardware cloth with a HC skirt.

per the coop; do I really need to go out each night and close the chicken door to the run?? and lock it up?

the main door to the coop will be locked at all times unless we go out there...

the top of the run is hardware cloth too...(err..will be)

 

[perchie.girl]

Good Question....

I was planning on not closing mine after suitable precautions..... Im going to tag along and hear the pros and cons.

 

[mercedes]

I live in texas(hot and very humid).My coop is three sided with an attached run,completely enclosed with hardware cloth and a strand of hot wire around the outside.The girls are not locked in the coop at night but go in on their own to roost.This is how they have lived for a year now and the only problem I have had was rats trying to dig under the fence.My cats usually put a quick stop to that.

 

[KimberlyJ]

My run is covered in hardware cloth with a solid shingled roof. We have a buried apron of hardware cloth with rocks on top of that. And I still close the coop door every night, call me chicken!

 

[MamaChic21]

We are building a run 32'x38' and the top will be all welded wiring. We put out 16ft long 2x4 every 4ft and supported by 4x4 posts. We're half way finished. We have all kinds of predators here from fox, raccoons, hawks, eagles, owls, possums, vultures and many more that I haven't seen I'm sure. I think having a secured run and coop is the best investment one can make when raising chickens or ducks. But right now, their coop's door opens inside of the run, I leave it open 24/7. It's a chainlink fence and the top is welded wire 10x16.

 

[Dingleberry]

the only problem is mice and rats getting the girls foodat night . their run door is kinda open but the run is just regular cow fencing. they free range around the yard most of the day if I am home( which is almost always) I am just lucky we have only have deer round now.

 

[Momagain1]

I didnt plan on putting food/water in their coop...
I was putting it out int he run..is that not a good idea?

 

[Momagain1]

does anyone else have ideas on the door being open vs closed with enclosed HC run..

 

[fifelakelooper]

Quote:
Raccoons are very smart. We had a enclosed run made with wire fencing (narrow squares) and had it for a moveable pen originally...it was completly enclosed including the bottom. I hadn't used it in a few years but had two mean roosters waiting/needing to be slaughtered. I put the two roos in the enclosed pen to wait until we had time to make them into stew meat. Second night in the pen....we wake up and find 2 coons inside the pen...trying to get out at the top but unable...and the roos were dead and torn up. We STILL DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY GOT IN! We think their weight was used at the top to stretch the fencing and squeeze thru..but couldn't do it to get out. We could find no spot for their entrance. So...I always lock the chickens inside at dark even though they have a enclosed run.

 

[PapaChaz]

Quote:
Raccoons are very smart. We had a enclosed run made with wire fencing (narrow squares) and had it for a moveable pen originally...it was completly enclosed including the bottom. I hadn't used it in a few years but had two mean roosters waiting/needing to be slaughtered. I put the two roos in the enclosed pen to wait until we had time to make them into stew meat. Second night in the pen....we wake up and find 2 coons inside the pen...trying to get out at the top but unable...and the roos were dead and torn up. We STILL DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY GOT IN! We think their weight was used at the top to stretch the fencing and squeeze thru..but couldn't do it to get out. We could find no spot for their entrance. So...I always lock the chickens inside at dark even though they have a enclosed run.

do you have the wire overlapped? i overlapped mine AND tied it together. i leave my pop door open all the time. i pity the poor mouse that tries to enter the coop...LOL although maybe at night they'd have a chance