time allowed in run.... lock up at night?

[ducks_rcool329]

Hello,
So i just finished my chicken coop and run, and I moved them out today. For tonight, I locked them into the actually coop, and locked the door that goes to the run. The run is fully enclosed with hardware cloth on the bottom, and then chicken wire all around the sides and top. Our poultry area is fenced off with a 6 foot fence berried 1 foot in the ground, then with 4 electric fence wires ( charged at 8 joules) at various heights along the fence, one is a few inches from the ground,t hen each line is about a foot apart. I have never in 3 years, had a single problem, let alone a sighting of a predator.

Anyways, on to my question, can I let them have access to their run 24/7 when the weather permits, or should I keep shutting them in at night. Thanks

 

[raimnel]

I and most I know close them into the coop at night. how old are your birds? my older birds have access to the run but by 5 are "in bed" and don't venture out into the run. however in the a.m. before I get my butt out of bed they are always in the run, then I get up and let them free roam. my young ones got locked into the coop AND run for a week then set free however for the first 3-4 days I had to put them into the coop everynight cause they were confused. you can avoid that by locking them into the coop for a week+ did I answer your question. lol

oh and

electric fence!

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

We have a VERY secure pen but always put them in the coop at night. It's not as if they need nightlife options anyway - they're happy on the roosts in the coop. And I figure if they're in the pen it 's just tantalizing to any predators wandering around out there.

 

[rancher hicks]

I don't have all that stuff cuz I have to many chickens and the expense is just to much. However I do have covered runs and let them out into my fenced in yard if I'm home. Lots of room. I shoo them into the run about eight pm and then lock them into the coop at dark.

Recently lost one and don't know how, so I count heads and don't take any chances.

 

[ducks_rcool329]

Quote:
They are 8 weeks old, and they don't ever leave their run to free range ( they are bantams, and can fly). The door that leads from the coop to the run is close-able, and lockable.

 

[lauriej57]

My run is similar to yours. But I have 1x2 welded wire enclosing the sides and top, and chicken wire on the bottom, extending a foot outside the fencing. My adult hens stay in that run and I keep their coop door open, and sometimes at night, when it's in the 90's I do find them roosting outside.

I have another smaller coop and run, same scenario, but I have chicken wire around the bottom, along the welded wire, up 3 ft high. Until about 8 or 9 weeks old, if one of the chicks get scared and run hard, they can get through the welded wire, the chicken wire was an added additon.

I don't use chicken wire for my run, as I have had massacres in the past when the raccoons tore the wire apart. I've had no problems with my set up, until 2 weeks ago, my fault, I had be at work at 4:30 am, and young chicks like to stay out til past dark, it was a hot night, and I figured they would be ok, or if I woke up in a few hours I would go out and make sure they were in the coop. I didn't realize, wasn't thinking, that these chicks liked to huddle on top of their coop door, it's a raised coop, and with them on top of the coop door,their little bodies are only about 6 inches below the wire on the coop. Something got on top of the run and snatched one right out. That was a six week old chick, and the peeping of the others caused my hubby to wake up, and probably saved the others.

Peeping chicks attract predators. Your electric fence might keep them out. If I were you though, I would make sure the chicks are in at night, just to be safe, plus it teaches them to go in at night.

I've been predator proof for over 3 years, then this happened. They go in every night, and I adjusted the roosts in the adult run, so nothing can manage to snap off an adults head if they decide to roost outside. Nothing has every gotten into my runs though.

 

[BoltonChicken]

Chickens have an inbred desire to roost when it starts to get dark, even during a solar eclipse. I would let them go back into the coop
which they should do naturally.

 

[ducks_rcool329]

Thanks for all the help!