Should I close my coop every night?

[xrayjwd]

Have three chickens about two months old. They are protected in a run and seem to be safe from all predetors. Is it ok to leave the door that they go from the coop to the run open all the time or should i close it every night?

 

[ke5hde]

I personally would close it. Not worth the chance.

 

[AlienChick]

I had a secure run attached to my coop and left the little chicken door open at all times day/night.

When I woke up in the morning, I would open the run and allow them to free range.

This worked for me because my run was secure from predators and it allowed my chickens to go outside in the morning before I got up.

 

[Nicole01]

I lock mine in at night. We use welded wire and I heard weasels can get inside. I'd never chance losing my girls.

 

[Marcymom3]

Definitely! Last week there were several posts from people who forgot to do it just one time and had tragic results. I hope that for my birthday in a few weeks, my husband will put a roof on my run and rig up a way for me to open and close the pop door with a pulley system.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

I do, unless it's extremely hot and muggy with no air movement, then and only then will I leave the coop open to their run. I also have them right outside my bedroom window and don't get much sleep on those rare occasions.

 

[ScottyHOMEy]

My advice is to get them accustomed to going in at night and then buttoning them up tight. A coop is a lot tighter than any run, and having them in there during the night when the predators are afoot will protect them from all but the most agresssive rats. And there are ways to deal with those.

 

[piecemaker]

I usaully leave mine open BUT last night something got The Man Chicken and the egges one of the girls were sittin' on,so they will be closed now. I have some little NN that have always roosted in a tree. Tried everything to get them to aleast roosted in the barn but they like the tree.

 

[Mahonri]

If the run is secure, I suppose it's OK,

I always say, just lock up the chickens you want to keep alive.

 

[chickengrl]

I would personally close it every night. There are more predators at night and there are many that have managed too get into the most secure runs. I wouldn't chance it. Just my opinion. Good luck either way.