What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Lavenders_Blue]

I'm hoping for a quick bit of advice. I'm thinking of treating myself to an automatic pop hole opener for the summer months as last year I got pretty fed up with the girls letting themselves into their run at 4am and then shouting their heads off til I let them out to FR (usually at 4.05 when I couldn't bear it any longer )

My question is, how foxproof does a coop need to be to use with an auto pop hole opener (if that's not a stupid question). At the moment, I have a Forsham ark which is a spare and currently housing 3 holiday guests. My plan is to move my girls from their current coop into the ark then fit the Pullit door opener from Forsham. I'd leave the run open overnight, as otherwise they will still be shouting to be let out at 4am, which would defeat the point of the auto door opener but would the coop part itself be strong enough to withstand any potential interest from Mr Fox, should he decide to pay us a visit?

Thoughts and ideas much appeciated before I splurge on an expensive bit of kit (who told me keeping your own hens can save you money?! )

[koo2cat]

In my experience you may find that they shout to get out of the coop! Especially if they are used to free ranging. I have a rule now that I let mine out no earlier than 7am in the summer months! I am in charge not them although they think they are!!! They do get used to it and stop being noisy after a few days and it then becomes part of their routine.

[oneyolktoanother]

In my experience you may find that they shout to get out of the coop! Especially if they are used to free ranging. I have a rule now that I let mine out no earlier than 7am in the summer months! I am in charge not them although they think they are!!! They do get used to it and stop being noisy after a few days and it then becomes part of their routine.

 

they do think they are in charge , , in the summer i have to grin and bear it and let ours out into the run at 6 or they kick up a racket but can't let them fr without me as we have a local fox so they have to wait to fr till i come out but they are in a big run. I have heard these door openers are good but very pricey i would'net personally leave the run door open of a night we have locks on our coop doors but would'net risk it foxes are so sly. I would get it and leave them in the run it will take a few days but then they should not make such a racket

let us know how you get on

[Lavenders_Blue]

Sorry, I perhaps didn't explain very well. Last summer I left the pop hole open so they were up and about in their run early shouting to be let out to FR. This summer I am hoping to secure them overnight by fitting the automatic door opener so that the ramp on the ark is shut and the run open instead of the run being shut and the pop hole/ramp open. That way the ramp should open when it gets light and they can get up to FR with less shouting (well that's the plan ). But if the general consensus is that they still need the run to be secure, then I won't bother with the automatic door opener, as I might as well just leave the pop hole open as I did last year, and do the 4am pyjama dash