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[lemon1]

Is it fine leave the door open while we are away?We will have visitors to the chickens so egg collection/checking up on the birds not an issue but just want to make sure they wont be too cold etc.

Also will they always distroy our lawns?In the photos on the website other chicken keepers seem to have lush green grass:our chickens are on the rampage!Will it be better in the summer?Ans they wat ALL the plants,dont think i can take them destroying all the summer plants so we are considering a barked area and they can be free in winter months when not a lot is growing.

thoughts please!As many others have written,I hope I have written this in the right place as I too am not a regular user

[Egluntyne]

Yes. I never close the doors. It would put a cover over the run, such as a shower curtain to give them a bit of shelter, if you haven't already.

 

Woodchip is better than bark for them to rootle about in, and Omlet netting t is useful for confining them to areas of your choice and not theirs.

[j00lz_12366]

I've been thinking about this too..and my plan is that for the first couple of weeks-when i'll be off work, i'll shut them in at bedtime-theres not mine..and open up again at about 7..then after that i'm hoping to leave them to sort themselves-theyre going in a WIR with a roof etc so will be secure. Does that sound ok?

[Plum]

I'm a lone voice on here but I would always shut them up at night and keep the run closed when you are not there.

 

If the chicken sleeps against the side of the run a fox or other animal can get their foot in and damage a chicken if not kill it. A friend had a fox climbing all over the run in the early morning, luckily she woke and chased it away but there was nothing to stop it reaching through the mesh. Also it has been reported that the clips have given way with a heavy fox jumping on the run.

[lemon1]

Thanks 1 and all of words of wisdom,much appreciated as always. Heres hoping that Piplin Pie and Talula will be ok for a few days with their house door open...

[lillybettybabs]

I have heard about the clips giving way and have cable tied all around mine for added protection.

I leave mine open on hot nights only and would be more inclined to get someone to shut them in whilst i

away.

[LolaLayla]

I usually close the door to the eglu at night however once I only closed the run and forgot to do the door. They woke up really early and started to chat loudly, probably annoyed because the door to the run was shut! We could hear them from inside the house! I was worried that they may have annoyed the neighbours so try hard to remember to close them in each night.