a question about feeding different foods to hens

[Spinning Top]

Now the nights are getting warmer I wondered if people keep the pop hole open at night in the summer?

I'm tempted to just shut the run door and put the feeders inside so the girls can get up early (and I don't have to!) but have seen a few concerns on here about rats.

The lady at the Omlet shop said the purpose of the ladder stopping before the ground was to stop rats climbing up but we've had to put a log under ours to give the girls a 'leg up' which rather defeats that object

Thanks !!

[Geoid]

I leave my eglu door open most of the time and I leave the feeders in the run, no rat has got in there.

[Chicken shack]

I would leave mine open if it were not for Harvey. He does crow early and shutting the bedroom door muffles him a little. I wish I didn't have to as one or two of the girls tend to sleep out side so I have to crawl in the run,climb over perches so that I can pop them in the bedroom. I have bought another run door which I intend to put on the side to make this easier. When I am away for the night and leave Mr Chicken shack in charge he will leave the door open he would never be able to bend down and scramble along.

[Purplemaniacs]

I close my eglu and cube at night and bring the feeders in.

 

Chrissie

[mollyripkim]

I have started leaving the door open and food in the run, touch wood no rats. But my run is on brick patio so there is no chance of foxes digging in. When it was on grass I always shut it.

[Mrs Potts]

I've always shut the door but last week,as a try, left it so that they could wake up when they want to.

 

I thought Gracie would be the noisy one, but Leia started singing with the dawn chorus at 4.30 am. She loved it, was just sitting on her perch giving it everything! But 4.30 am is 4.30 am and we have neighbours, let alone OH's thoughts, so I had to paddle out and put her back to bed. She was very good and didn't make any fuss.

 

I have taken back to shutting them up again at night, which is sad, but necessary.

[coppers]

I actually leave our eglus open all winter (unless it is bitterly cold) and start closing the doors to them when the chickens start getting up early. This is to keep them quiet so as not to annoy the neighbours. I open them up at sevenish. It is surprising how loud they can be when up and about (especially if something alarms them)and I want to be considerate especially when people are sleeping with their windows open in warm weather. xx

[Happy Mrs Chicken]

I do exactly the same as copper does.

[coppers]

Glad I am not alone! it seems a bit bonkers leaving the door open in cold weather and closing it in warm weather but I have found this to be necessary. x