Who shut the little hatch door on coops these cold nights?

[columbiacritter]

Quote:
Just wish that was possible, but I'd be setting my birds up to be snacks if they weren't closed up. I went out to lock their door a couple weeks ago well after dark and got the poo scared out of me. The ducks were being pains about goign in so I was letting them run around the run while I changed water. All the sudden my dogs were lined up against the fence growling and staring into the dark pasture. Two eyes glowed out there. BIG EYES!!! A cougar was out probably 30 ft from the run fence.

The ducks decided to beat feet for the coop and I slammed their door shut as I beat feet for the house. The dogs were already at the door.

So yeah, I lock my birds up every night.

 

[winekntrychicks]

Well Just for the record. I am the one who posted the original question.
I closed the hatches tonight and last night. First time since they went out on their own back in August. Their pop door goes into a run which is closed at all times unless I am out there with them. I feel its secure. we used hardware cloth. Thanks for the posts everyone.

 

[ZooMummzy]

It was 8 here last night...door shut and blankets out of the dryer laid over the coop. Yep, they are very spoiled

I normally don't shut it because mine are enclosed in a very secure run as well (5 layers of various wires including hardware). It has just been very cold here for about a week so I'm trying to keep as much warmth in as possible.

 

[ChanceRider]

We have the usual cast of characters when it comes to predators too.... mountain lions, bobcats, bears, possums, raccoons, feral cats, hawks, etc. If something can get into our run, then it can probably get into our coop. The run is 2 x 4's with 1/2" x 1" welded hardware wire secured with screws and washers. I have double locks at different heights, the same hardware wire for a roof and floor (buried under about 4" of dirt so the chickens and ducks can still scratch and dig). We built it securely because of the predators. And, when we've had bobcats and mountain lions on the property it's been during daylight hours! The bobcats around here are pretty bold as I learned when I shot to scare one who was stealing one of my Guinea hens at about 10am. I'm more worried about letting them out to free-range during the day than I am leaving the pop door open.

 

[hcammack]

I close it every night no matter the season as I only use a flimsy movable run.

 

[Gazinga]

ok, ok, ok,
i close the pop door everynight, and on my pop door is a hook latch to lock it on one side and on the opisite side of teh pop door is a pad lock latch to make sure its secure, then on teh run door i have a cane lock latch with a slide latch on teh top and bottom corners to prevent little racoon hands form getting in there and prying at the corners, then another pad lock latch below the hande to teh run door. On teh coop i have teh main maintenance door with double slide latches on top and bottom corners for teh same reasons followed by a pad lock latch in teh center of teh door to ensure security. then for teh egg box access door i have a padlock latch on each end of teh door and a hook latch in teh center of the door.

I lock em up each night to protect them from weather and from predators.

What do you guys think? Am i mostly covered?

Thats just teh coop! My run as many security ideas involved as well.

Cause i love my girls!

 

[chicken farmer meigs]

I shut the door every night. But when the temp. hit 0 or lower the don't get let outside. for ther own good. My girls have been locked up for 5 days. Iket them out this afternoon when we hit 10 dregees the came out running. THen went in when the sun went down.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Both pop doors are open - there's a towel hanging over to block some of the draft, but they're not shut - and the window is open on nights when it's above 0F. Below that I close the window.

Edited to add that we don't really have any small predators that can get into the run, so I don't worry about anything getting in the coop. And if a bear wants into the coop, a pop door isn't going to stop it...

 

[SewingDiva]

I close the door every night, mostly so they stay warmer since our coop is small.

 

[joebryant]

Anne opens the two pop doors on the two coops at 10 A.M.
I close both of them at 6 P.M., but only because I can't get Anne to close them. She used to close them too, but somehow she finagled it such that I ended up with the job.