To leave open or not leave open, that is the question!

[ladyride]

Mine have a secure run but their pop door is open during the day closed up at night. I am not going to give an in for any critter / pred. The coops was built very secure. Call me paranoid.

 

[wava1vaughn]

Hi from Ga. We lock our chickens up at night.

 

[kuntrychick]

I know most people lock their chickens up at night. If I didn't have the coop/run inside another fenced-in area with a big dog, I probably would too. It's been over 2 years of having chickens & so far no predators & we live out in the country. I've seen coons dead on the road, possums, etc.

I did used to at least lock the gate on the run, but now don't do that either.

See, I have a problem getting up early in the morning. It's not that I don't want to; it's an issue of I can't. I have some sleeping issues / disorders...been seeing a sleep specialist. Anyway, I don't wanna keep my chickens "cooped up" in case I sleep too late.

It's kinda funny....one of the reasons I started my chicken hobby over 2 years ago was because I thought the roosters crowing might possibly wake me up, but they don't & part of their yard is right outside our bedroom window!

I hope I don't lose any chickens to predators. If I do, I might change my ways even if it means the chickens staying "cooped up" til 9 or 10 am or so.

 

[AZWhiteKnight]

I just got back into chickens this year after not having them for 20 years or so when I was growing up on the east coast. Unfortunately, I designed and built the coop for security and did not plan for the desert summers. So, after planning to lock them up every night, I ended up being forced to leave my coop door open all summer long. The run is a chicken fortress - railroad ties are the main structural supports, with 2 X 4's providing support for the chicken wire overlaps. It is 100% wired in, and in addition to the railroad ties around the perimeter, I have the chicken wire cemented one foot into the ground all around. I'm not saying it is 100% secure, but in an area with hawks, coyotes, skunks, snakes, dogs and plenty of other hostile critters, I've not lost a single chick.

I'm still planning to start shutting the coop door at night starting next weekend.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

Hi

I lock up my chickens at night. I have a secure pen which they stay in during the day.
When I am home I have a little door on the main door to the coop
that I open so that they can come and go into the pen.

I live in the country so leaving the door open at night would invite unwanted
guests for sure. I would rather be safe than sorry.

 

[cupman]

If your run is completely secure then go for it. I leave mine open at night/day and they come out on their own and go to bed on their own. If your run isn't covered I wouldn't do it, even if you had hot wire running around the perimeter.

 

[gale65]

Quote:
Be careful. There have been stories (and pictures) of people's chicken wire runs being ripped apart by dogs or anything with similar strength. Chicken wire just isn't very strong. We have 2 x 4 fencing all around (and buried about a foot deep) including the top, plus chicken wire to supplement on the bottom 4'. I'd rather cover the whole thing in 1/2" hardware cloth but for a few different reasons, we haven't done it. One is cost and the other is that we like to toss them treats without going in the run or dh likes to toss them corn from the end opposite the door while he's unloading the grain trailer and that would be impossible with 1/2" wire. Plus it would just be a ton of work. Somehow we need to figure something out for when we go on vacation next year. Either trust in an auto door or cover the run with hardware cloth, because we don't know anyone who could come out and open up in the morning and close up at night.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Don't chickens go into kind of a stupor at night when they fall asleep. I was told that was the best time to introduce new chickens into the flock, where everyone else was asleep. So why leave the door open all night???

With all the time, money & effort invested in your chickens, why take a chance by leaving the door open. Sometimes I can not get to my chickens till 9 am, I put fresh food & water out for them in their coop, when I close them up for the night, they are in their roost & do not come down to eat it. I just get the weird look from them, like "Hey we are trying to sleep here, just close the door & leave!" My chickens are at the door waiting for me to open it for them in the morning, but no issues or fighting. I usually let them out by 7:30am, then have to explain to them that "Yes I know you want to be out & free ranging, but you have to wait till Bethie comes home from school. Then I will let you out."

My youngest is in Pre-K and gets home by 11:45 am, then I am home the rest of the day & can watch the chickens as they free range.

My neighbor I found out yesterday, would leave her coop door open at night. She has 3 dogs who will go after anything that does not belong in their yard. Never bothered the chickens, until a coon came, got into the coop and killed a couple of her hens. A few days later, her dog got into the run, and killed the rest of her flock.

I am in the process now of winterizing my coop & making sure everything is secure. The only way anything could get into my coop, is if they broke the glass window (safety glass). With the drought we have had here in Texas, there are so many animals out & about looking for food & water. See way too many road kill on the roads this last month, so I am being over cautious with my chickens.

Just remember, we are their protectors, they have no defenses against coons, weasels, possums, foxes, or dogs but us. Get an automatic door if you can't get up early enough. Make more ventilation of you want them to have fresh air. But please keep the doors closed at night.
No one wants to wake up to dead chickens in the morning. JMHO

 

[Hawkeye95]

A lot of people use the "add a motor" to an existing door they have, or they make a door themselves and then add this motor. It's a bit cheaper in the long run. You can also buy a kit that comes with the entire door assembly and motor with it, but it's more pricey. This one below is only $99, and everyone says they are really easy to install.

http://www.add-a-motor.com/Model D20 Motor for Chicken Coop Doors.htm

 

[Green_Eggs_and_Ham]

We have the Add-A-Motor. Love it! It's made my life (and DH

) a lot easier. I highly recommend one.

We got ours at http://www.discounthomeautomation.com/Add-A-Motor-Chicken-Coop-Motor-AD20 . They had the lowest price I could find.

Yes, it is VERY easy to install. Took Hubby a couple hours in the morning. Haven't ever had a problem with it in 18 months. It's hooked up to a $10 timer I got at Lowes. Looks like a solar kit can hook up to it too. See here: http://www.discounthomeautomation.com/solar-panel-timer-battery-kit

Good luck!

E/