Overnight Hospital Stay

[ChookBeginner]

Hi all,
Full disclosure, it's my first time posting and my first time as a chook mum so I apologise if this question isn't the brightest.
I have 2 Australorps (1 splash and 1 black) who have just hit 7 weeks and I have to go in for an overnight surgery in a few days.
I don't have anyone reliable who will come and let them out in the morning/close them up at night and I'm at a loss of what's best to do. My whole family/friends live interstate and no one can come and watch over me or the chick's during surgery.
I've been tossing and turning over whether to just leave them in their coop for the entire day/night or if to just open the door and let them have full access to their run.
I think that I should leave them in their coop because I live near a creek and we get a lot of stray cats lurking around but I've read they could get behavioural issues.
I asked my local "chicken lady" (seller) and she said that if I lock them up for a full day I'll most likely come home to a bloody mess with them having pecked each other out of stress. I ust can't deal with that, it will absolutely break my heart.
I was thinking of installing a light on a timer into the coop so they could have "day time" and maybe installing some extra little treat balls with some mealworms mixed with their grain.
If there's no way to leave them alone for the day and a half I can try to postpone my surgery until COVID border restrictions loosen but I've already done that twice in 6 weeks and I don't think I can keep going without it.
Any advice you guys have about keeping them in/leaving them out would be extremely appreciated.

 

[aart]

Just the 2 birds?
What does your coop and run look like?
Pics would help immensely here.

Oh, and... Welcome to BYC! @ChookBeginner
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Mvan42]

As @aart said pictures would help give good advice.

If the run is completely secure, and no chance of anything getting in (there's always that chance) but the more secure the better... I would say leave it open.

How is the heat here you live? If the weather is hot I also would leave it open. You risk health issues or death due to heat if they are stuck in a hot stuffy coop that long. A light would help, they would be able to see to drink but how hot will their water be? How hot will the inside of the coop get? Even in regular temperatures at this time of the year it get hot inside unair-conditioned buildings.

 

[AntiqueB]

I leave my coop pop door open on hot nights, but the run is predator-proof. I agree with @Mvan42 that they will be fine with that. Just make sure they can't knock the feeder and waterer over, and that they aren't in the sun.

 

[ChookBeginner]

Just the 2 birds?
What does your coop and run look like?
Pics would help immensely here.

Oh, and... Welcome to BYC! @ChookBeginner
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2740943

This is the coop when I was installing it. It's not done in that photo but it has a wire mesh that connects under the coop and is dug about 10 cm into the soil. It doesn't go right under though. I'm not so much concerned about things getting in as I am about stray cats clawing from the side.
I'm in Australia so it's definitely not going to be warm here. During the day, at best we are looking at 15 and at night it'll drop to about 5 (celcius). I'm using dine a chook feeders and waterers with nipple attachments so they can't make a mess even when they try.
There's an extension for the coop to double in size but for now given their age it's doing really well.
Hopefully this helps with any advice you may have.

 

[aart]

I'm not so much concerned about things getting in as I am about stray cats clawing from the side.

I don't think a cat could get it's paw thru that small holed mesh.

 

[Mvan42]

I don't think a cat could get it's paw thru that small holed mesh.

I agree. I have had two of those coops. And that mess is about 1/4th and inch. No cat can get through that. They should be just fine.

 

[ChookBeginner]

I agree. I have had two of those coops. And that mess is about 1/4th and inch. No cat can get through that. They should be just fine.

@aart thank you both. I'll leave it open for them to free roam.
Sorry about the trivial question and I have updated my profile to show my location for future.
Thank you for the advice!

 

[LaFleche]

@aart thank you both. I'll leave it open for them to free roam.
Sorry about the trivial question and I have updated my profile to show my location for future.
Thank you for the advice!

Don't apologize for thinking ahead and trying to take the best care of your pullets!

I wish more people would be so considerate with regards to their poultry.

Best wishes for your surgery, hope to see you soon here again with some more pictures of your pullets.

 

[aart]

Sorry about the trivial question

Question was not trivial.