What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[mark_lowe]

l have just built a large walk in chicken run, nothing can get in or out, is it ok to leave the cube door open at night?

so they can get up when they want in the morning?

or does it need to be locked for the winter or something else??

 

thank you

[Purplemaniacs]

I shut the door on my cube and eglu at night, but I think there are others who leave it open if the girls are in a secure run.

 

Chrissie

[scarlettohara]

We can only reply if we see photos

[karena]

I leave mine open. From reading here before its a mix of opinions on which to do.

[mark_lowe]

ohh ok thankyou

 

ill take a picture tomorrow so you can see

[migsy]

I leave mine open. I will probably shut it when it gets really cold.

[Plum]

Always shut mine for peace of mind.

[jennydavies]

We always leave ours open, then they queue up at the run door in the morning and moan at me if I am a bit late getting up (the dogs usually wake me at ten to seven)......but sometimes they forget

[Chucky Mama]

I have a standard run and I leave my door open - well open enough for them to squeeze out in the morning. Having the door 3/4 closed means that they can shelter behind it if they want to but Trudy likes to sleep on guard duty in the doorway whatever the weather. I do shut it though if they are going through a noisy phase.

[Luvachicken]

Mine always look so worried if I leave the door open on the cube, so I think they get a better sleep with the door shut, rather than them wondering if something might sneak in and get them.

[Egluntyne]

I always leave the cube door open at night. It is in a WIR.

[Cinnamon]

My Cube & Eglu are both butted up outside a very secure walk in run, & I always leave the doors open.

[mark_lowe]

thank you

[stehaggan]

If the run is fox proof i would leave it open.

 

I added an automatic door opener to mine, but thats just for extra security because mine are on my allotment

[mark_lowe]

 

its in 2 halfs at the moment, chickens and chicks, but will be fully open soon

[thelurch]

Our cube is butted up to the WIR and I closed the door every night, and opened it in the morning.

 

But then they started making very loud noises earlier and earlier to be let out so I left the door open at night. This was fine for a while, but with the freedom to get up whenever they wanted, we were getting very loud "bokking" from the run at 6.30am! I reverted back to closing the door and a few revisions to our blackout covering to the cube, they are staying quiet till I let them out about 7.15am.

 

I might try leaving the door open at night when it stays dark past 7.30am.

 

My choice of door open or closed is decided only by potential noise and not by security, of which I have had no concern.