Unsecure chicken perches

[peachachecha]

When I first got my eglu in August I closed up the door every night. For the past month I have not closed the door but left it open all night. Now with winter coming I am not sure what to do. I have the run with an extension covered with heavy plastic to keep the rain and soon to be (maybe this afternoon!!!) snow out of the run. It will keep the wind down too. Will they be warm enough with the door left open?

[sage]

I left my door open most of last winter. Only closed it if weather forcast said it would get below -5oc. Then the snugglesafe went in and the door got closed.

 

Sage

[peachachecha]

Thank you for replying. I will leave it open unless it is going to be really cold then I will close it.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've never closed mine, even when it was way below zero. I did put a thick plastic-backed travelling rug over the top of the eglu though when the snow was at its worst .

[Egluntyne]

I never close mine either. Having weighed up the fox risk etc. If you use the search facility, you will find numerous threads on this topic to read through for advice.

[lindafw]

Shut mine...to save the neighbours from Baggins early wake up crow in the mornings during the summer...perhaps I should just leave it now...would save me having to take the lavender aracanas off the top of the coop and shove them inside nightly

[KimmyCustard]

I always close mine in, I think its more of a 'just in case' thing, their run is fox-proof but I dont like the thought of the chilly nights making them cold

[squiffs]

I shut mine in because I take their feed in at night and if there's no food when they come out of their coop they make a terrible racket. They make a terrible racket when they wake up in the coop too but it's muffled

[jackian]

I close mine for the same reason as squiffs.Also extra protection...Except we have someone coming to look after them at Christmas so I will have to leave it open then in case the sitter has a lie in .They are very good as he works in a petshop but you never know

[Plum]

Always close it. You never know if the security can be breached, not that I've ever seen anything bigger than a slug. It's good to peep in at night and see they are all safe

[Sammiboo]

i close mine. They will be warm enough with the door open. When i worked at a bird sanctuary and chickens stayed out in all weather and some of them were knocking on for 10 years old. I just close it for extra security so i know they are safe.

[Calamity Jane]

I have always left mine open all year, ever since that time I thought OH had opened door and he thought I had.... and they were locked in til 1pm

[Mum]

When I had my first chook (an ex-bat) I would push the door shut without locking it and in the morning, she would push it open to go into the run.

 

Fast forward a few years: new location, new chooks. I lock the door every night. There are foxes around here, plus even without foxes, mice and rats could get into the run and then the eglu.

 

Having said that, I don't let my cats out at night either - but then, they are house cats

 

I don't leave my lads out all night - but then, they haven't asked to be.

 

DH can be left out all night, sometimes, but that's a part of his job not me being unkind (although he would deserve it sometimes!)