Vacation- leave coop door open at night?!

[HomesteaderWife]

I agree, free ranging would not be a wise option with no one at home.

 

[HappyChickens101]

If your run and coop are predator proof, I personally would allow them access to the run but no free-ranging. I'm not sure of your set up. My run has a roof, and apron, along with hardware cloth everywhere.

Mine has a roof with hardware cloth on all sides but there is a door at the end where I let them out.

 

[HappyChickens101]

I agree, free ranging would not be a wise option with no one at home.

Ok it’s just a week is a long time to be stuck in a coop and run.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Ok it’s just a week is a long time to be stuck in a coop and run.

Better to be in a coop and run than a predators mouth.

 

[cmom]

Unless you are sure it is predator proof, I would leave them in. Have someone check on them or you may come home to no birds. I have electric wires around my coops and pens, concrete under the gates and nice large covered pens. I have went away for a few months and had a fellow check on them. The eggs were his to deal with. I do sell my eggs. I had an account set up with the feed store so all he had to do was go in and pick the feed up. I leave the pop doors open and so far nothing has penetrated. They have to get past the electric wires first. Good luck...

 

[CluckerFamily]

Mine has a roof with hardware cloth on all sides but there is a door at the end where I let them out.

I wouldn't free range them.
Are they at laying age? Do you have someone stopping in to make sure they have food, water, and the eggs are gathered so that they don't become broody or learn a bad habit of eating their eggs?

 

[HappyChickens101]

I wouldn't free range them.
Are they at laying age? Do you have someone stopping in to make sure they have food, water, and the eggs are gathered so that they don't become broody or learn a bad habit of eating their eggs?

They are laying and I have a large water and feeding container so I know they won’t run out of food or water.

 

[HappyChickens101]

They are laying and I have a large water and feeding container so I know they won’t run out of food or water.

I’ve left them for around 3 days when they laid and they hadn’t eaten them.

 

[NatJ]

Ok it’s just a week is a long time to be stuck in a coop and run.

It is, but you can make it a little nicer by giving them plenty of stuff to scratch in: maybe a giant pile of dead leaves, or a few bales of hay or straw, or if you have a compost pile you could dump it all in there for them to scratch around and eat bugs.

And if they are free to go out and range in the daytime, but no-one is available to close the door at night, then a predator could easily come in to eat them. Bored for a week is better than dead.

 

[HappyChickens101]

Alright thank

It is, but you can make it a little nicer by giving them plenty of stuff to scratch in: maybe a giant pile of dead leaves, or a few bales of hay or straw, or if you have a compost pile you could dump it all in there for them to scratch around and eat bugs.

And if they are free to go out and range in the daytime, but no-one is available to close the door at night, then a predator could easily come in to eat them. Bored for a week is better than dead.

Ok, thank you all for the advice. I will leave them in to keep my babies safe!