What time is too early to open the coop door?

[jrossetti]

What time of the morning is too early to open the coop door to let the girls out into the run? I wake up at 5 to get to work at 6, and I was wondering if it's too early to open the coop door on my way out at around 5:50AM?

 

[L*A*G*]

that's fine they just won't go out until daylight.

 

[patandchickens]

Predators such as raccoons often are doing some of their major hunting just before dawn, so there is definitely more risk involved in doing that.

If you are ok with that, that's fine, just want to make sure you know how the predator schedule works

Good lcuk, have fun,

Pat

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
This is what I would worry about too. Depends on the area the coop is located in. Although I get racoons in my yard at night and I have a 6' fence.

 

[mdbokc]

I have an electric fence that will make a grown man, yell, cuss and then shout some more. If I didn't have that, I would wait until light. As it is, I do the same and some days it is still dark. One or two will peek out, then go disappear back into the coop. They then come out as soon as they can see in the morning light.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

Ours gets opened about 6:45am, and currently that's still pretty dark yet! The geese and ducks come right out but the chickens stay in until it's lighter!

 

[cposz]

Our henhouse opens to the run below - they come out when they feel like it. Shortly after sunup, usually.

 

[RlgNorth]

I have been wondering this myself.. Living in alaska where in the winter it is dark all the time. Well the sun does come up I think our darkest day the sun is only up for an hour. I have desided I will let the chickens out once we are up and moving My dogs do a good job of letting me know somthing is here that shouldn't be.

 

[L*A*G*]

Quote:
only 1 hr!!!! i coundn't handle that. i live in ga and i thought getting dark at six was late!

 

[Tala]

The one and only raccoon attack we had happened at 5:30am.

I would worry.