Single hen

[little Red Hen]

I was wondering how many people don't shut the eglu door at night? What with the warmer summer months and holidays ahead of us all. I have asked my neighbour to look after them for a couple of nights when we are away. Not sure whether to ask them to come in each day and open/close door as its extra trips around for them and what if they forget to open it one morning? I am closing it a the momment but I suppose does it come down to your confidence in the eglu proof run as regards to a fox and the likelyhood of one being about?

[Egluntyne]

I leave my Eglu doors open at this time of year.

 

Just make sure that the run is well anchored down and the pop hole and end door are securely fastened.

[bronze]

I would just leave it open. Mine is shut but not locked all year round but thats so I dont get out of the habit. If I was more reliable they would have it open at this time of year

[phenna_family]

Hi Little Red Hen,

 

We went away last weekend and left the chickens for the first time, I was so worried as we had left the Eglu door open, my mum and dad came everyday to check on them and they were fine, now that it is getting warmer, I think I will leave the door open, but it is still at the back of your mind just how fox proof the eglu run is.

[Edgeman]

I and Edgewife and are going away for a weekend next month and I kind of think that with the warm nights the door should remain open.

 

I do pin the run down with 6 screws however, and I will fix the other screws when were away...

[minty982y]

we leave our chicken door open but we shut it last night as we put the baby chicken in last night good luck with your chickens

[The Dogmother]

Our eglu door is open at night unless it's below zero.

[chelsea]

ours is always SHUT.

 

The ONLY reason being is we have a noisey chicken who would be bawk bawk bawking at 4.45 in the morning if we didnt shut the door, so to keep the neighbours happy (not that anyones complained yet) we prefer to shut the door until we personally let them out at 6.30-7am which is a much more acceptable time during the working week.

 

Once the mornings get a bit darker...maybe late summer and if its still warm then we would open the door.

[Gallina]

Definitely shut at night. Not for the chickens' sake, but for mine: I wouldn't be able to sleep if it were left open.

 

It's a matter of personal choice. If you have foxes around and light soil, you are better off shutting the door at night. Otherwise what was the point of buying a fox-proof Eglu? The run is not 100% fox-proof, but the Eglu is.

 

If you don't have foxes and your run is on slabs or screwed down into heavy soil, it is probably safe to leave it open.

[Chicken Licken]

I'm with Chelsea - they get up so early and baccaw, that wakes rosie, who wakes me (and who knows what the neighbours think). So door shut if I am here and they have a lie in - this morning neither of them had laid and were still very dozy at 0630 - bit like the owner really!!

[little Red Hen]

Thanks folks to those of you who've replied. I was going to have a go leaving it open tonight, but after carrying on reading down the posts, I'm not so sure now. I hadn't realised that the run wasn't 100% foxproof. I don't have heavy soil and although I haven't seen a fox, there obviously could be one about. As someone said, the closed eglu is the safest of all.

[Cate in NZ]

I'm quite clearly a bad chicken parent................ open, well ajar, so that little beaks can push it open to get to food & water as soon as they wake.............. all year round. Yes, even January . We don't get a lot of snow and ice or freezing temperatures down here, but they're covered in feathery "duvets" thanks to Mother Nature and hens survive in much harsher climates than ours. And I need my sleep . I did the 5am wake ups when I had newborn babes and newly delivered chooks, but sorry, no longer. The hens let themselves out into the run every morning and are fine

[Olly]

Open - all year round ... well maybe if it's freezing in the winter I might close it. It's right to say that you need to be sure the run is foxproof - mine is on firm soil, and the run 'skirt' is designed to deter foxes. I know there has been a reported incident of a fox tunnelling on very light soil, but I'm as confident as I can be that no fox would get into the run - and I don't say that lightly, as I know the fox visits every night.

 

Why open? Firstly, they like to get up much earlier than me! secondly, I had the awful experience not long after I got them, where I had to go out very early indeed and travel away with work - and I forgot to open the door

Luckily they survived, it wasn't hot weather.

I would rather not risk that again - it's open all the time, for me.

[Foxy Loxy]

I shut the door at night. I sleep much better for knowing they are safe.

[Hen Watch]

Door open.

 

When I first started 2 months ago I shut the door every night and opened it at 7.30am. But after going away last week for a few days, I was forced into the decision to leave the door open all the time (but run shut). They were fine and I've decided to carry on now with door open. I've noticed too that if I peek out of the window at 5am they are all out in the run.

 

Very interested in Kate A's post about leaving the door ajar....might try that in cold weather. Can chickens really push it open themselves?? What if it shuts behind 1 chicken and the others are left inside???

[xChicken04x]

personly, i would shut the door. its much safer and you know 100% nothing will get them. we dont sleep with our front door open so why should they?

no offence...

[Richard]

Hi

 

I shut my Eglu door at night, but don't lock it. The girls push it open in the morning when they want to get out.

 

I don't know if its the best thing to do, but it's been OK for us. Occasionally if we've had a late night and a bit to much of the red medication we forget and it stays open all night.

 

Did I really admit that?

[RubyReckless]

we leave it about 75% shut so the girls barge it open in the morning. Otherwise they don't bother and just YELL (!!!) from dawn (4:30 ish) til we wake up!

[Foxy Loxy]

Really wanted a lie in this morning so left the door closed but not shut. I thought the chickens would push it open. I was horrified when I got up at 09:50 and they were still inside. They were not making a noise though. I felt bad. I think if I was going to do that again, I would leave the whole door open.

[Jaime]

I've not heard of chooks opening the Cube door themselves - so my door stays open all of the time at the moment.

 

They used to open the eglu door if it wasnt locked.

 

When winter comes I'll have to revise the plan.

[The Dogmother]

My girls have the door open at night and go out into the run when it's daylight - they are usually quite as mice. But a neighbour down the road has two big hens and they yell to be let out of the run in the mornings - I can hear them from my garden when I go to let my girls out. I hope that no-one thinks it's my babes

[Richard]

very occasionally the door has jammed and the girls haven't been able to push it open - but they've never been vocal about it. When I've got to the Eglu there's just been a lot of soft shuffling noises and taps and bumps against the door.

 

Oh, and resentful looks once I have let them out!

[Cinnamon]

We always have it open unless it is really bitterly cold.

I think the hens are happy coming & going as they please, & we are certainly happy not to have to run down the garden at 6am to let them out

 

[Elaine C]

Hi

 

I leave the door open in the warmer weather but during cold spells in the winter I do tend to shut it, although as some of the posts indicate probably no need to. Chooks seem to be quite hardy! It has to be said that my girls are no longer in the eglu run as we built a big run for them - hopefully foxproof but not yet tested - there are foxes around us. That said, I think that if as previously suggested you make sure the run is on level ground and secure this should be ok and if you are worried mayby lay some paving slabs around the run, over the skirt, I would think this would stop Mr Foxy looking for a late night snack. When the girls were in the eglu run, I also left the door open but just made sure that it was really secure.

 

Hope this helps

E

[Basset]

I always leave the door open all year round, as I like the idea that they can come out as soon as they want to in the morning.