Question for those with prefab chicken coops with run--do they get locked into the house structure a

[jofanx]

I see a lot of prefab chicken coops with runs that don't look like the actual housing structure has doors to lock them in at night. Is it somewhere I can't see? Or is there just no doors and they go into the run when they want in the morning and go into the house at night to sleep when they want? Any issues with predators without locking them in?

 

[Ravynscroft]

The prefabs usually have a sliding door that goes across the pop door... but even so, most prefabs are not predator proof by a mile... those sliding doors are a thin (1/4") luan board, little better than cardboard... the rest really isn't much better... best to build your own, modify a shed or buy a coop from someone who knows how to make them properly...

 

[ChickenMammX4]

We originally had a prefab coop, it didn't have a door between the coop & run. That was one of my concerns since we live in a semi rural area with many predators. We ended up selling the coop on Craigslist, unused, because of it being so flimsy & small.

 

[islandgirl82]

My starter coop was also a prefab, though it was made of Fir wood and the doors are made with 1/2" wood excluding the trim. I should have painted it when I first got it but it was supposedly sealed. Not the case. I had it for years but kept it in a sheltered area and it was fine. One winter exposed to the elements and the wood cracked and leaked. I have kept it as an isolation coop (after repairs). It works great for quarantine and for keeping a few growing chicks that are big enough to go outside but not to be mingling with the big girls. It does have a door to allow them to go from the coop directly to the run.