Should I close my coop every night?

[SteveBaz]

I have a very sad story. I am disabled and I sleep through my alarms at times. My wife thought I closed the brooder box and locked the coop. She woke me I went to bed thinking she put the kids up and the next morning all were gone except 1 who survived with medical needs,=. I say lock it!!

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

What kind of run is it? maybe a pic would help, some runs are okay but a lot aren't.

 

[real_redhead]

I agree with most everyone else...LOCK IT! During the summer when it was extremely hot I left the door open inside the run that I thought was very secure. Not so, when there is a will there is a way. Luckily my hubby gets up early for work, heard the girls going crazy and ran out to check on them and a oppossum was chasing them around. Luckily no one got hurt but that't the last time I'll leave the door open. And my husband reminds me every night to close the door and lock all things that can be opened.

 

[mommissan]

Same here. Lock it! I've seen too much chicken wire and mesh torn and chewed up by a hungry predator. Any 1" opening will cost you your flock.

 

[fasbendera]

Close it up tight and protect your flock. I do not have a covered pen but they have plenty of places to escape from an air attack however a night time predator has an unfair advantage and all though a door has been missed or not shut tight we have been lucky to only have been hit once and lost three birds that night. Not worth it I felt horrible for the three lost and the ones left it must have been a stressul night for them.

 

[debid]

You need to know what creeps in the night where you live and how large of an entry point they need to have any idea of whether your run is secure enough. I live in an area where mink are a risk. They need a ONE INCH hole. So, I close the pop door every night at dusk. I rigged it so I can do so from outside the run. For me, it's not worth the risk because it might be 100 nights that I get away with it and then one night I lose the whole flock. Mink can be that destructive.

 

[Easter eggers]

I don't close mine because they will be okay and i'm sure of it

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. I would close the coop too...

 

[tkay6205]

We have several night time predators. So I close to coop every night. I normaly catch myself making a quick trip in my PJ's and house shoes right before bed to go close everyone up. But the night I dont do it will be the night something happens and I will feel TERRIBLE!!

 

[Rhode Island Rita]

I'd say better safe than sorry - I lock all my girls and boys up securely in their coops at sundown.