HELP aggressive chicken

[patsylabrador]

I don't want to shut the chickens up at night. On a couple of occasions I've forgotten and they are up and about early, preening and stretching. It looks natural and they look happy.

Their coop is in a WIR and because I'm so neurotic about foxes I've always shut the sliding door, fastened the small run door of the coop and then bolted the WIR.

No fox has been able to get in the run, we've stopped rats getting in so am I being daft? I'd love them to be free to get up when they want and they're more quiet and they don't call to be let out.

I'm a bit worried about what might happen if a fox passes through in the early morning in the summer before the neighbours get up in case they start yelling but I have a fox watch which helps keep them at bay. I'll just have to see about that one.

I think I'm just looking for reassurance that they'll be safe at night. I tried it last night and it felt weird not doing my prison warder inpersonation but all seems good.

[jackian]

I lock mine up at night for their own safety ..Or is it my peace of mind I would feel so guilty if I did not and something happened.

The couple of times I have not they have wandered out side by themselves as you say they look so natural.I let them out so early last summer and they were so happy.I think this summer I will not lock them in as although I don't have lie ins I would not like them to miss any day light.

On one hand ..On the other hand ...

[superkitty]

I worry as well, but I've got one of the omlet WIRs now so am going to experiment with leaving the door open now that the weather has warmed up a little. I like the idea of them getting up when theynwant to, rather than when i drag myself out of bed! Can guarantee I'll wake up multiple times in the night thinking Incan hear them yelling 'fox!' though...because I did that for weeks when I first got them!

 

If your WIR is secure and fox proof, it should be fine...but as a fellow worrier I know exactly where you're coming from

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've never locked my eglu inside the WIR. Having said that I've had no signs of a fox in 4 years. The weldmesh is supposed to be fox-proof so I put my trust in that!

[Egluntyne]

I have a flytesofancy WIR and plenty of foxes around at night. I leave the cube door open at night, and ....so far so good.

[Lewis]

When I forgot to shut my old WIR I was foxed but when they're in it they were fine for years and that was just chicken wire and bare ground with slabs around the edge, nothing under the run, so was my mistake.

 

The new one is on a big concrete slab so can't dig in, doubt a fox would be able to break into or bite through the weld mesh so my Cube door stays open too!

[MaggieMcHen]

My WIR is 24' by 12' roofed, constructed of wooden frames with weldmesh. It stands on large, liberated, London paving slabs. The centre is earth so the girls can dig around.We have plenty of foxes around but I don't lock the cube door, they can't get in to the run - they tend to try and dig where the 'wall panels' meet the concrete and because they can't dig they give up - they don't think, "Oh if I move out about 2 foot away I can dig under the paving slabs" The only time I lock them in the Cube is when the snow is blowing a hoolie.